WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University volleyball team won a tense first set and pulled away in the second and third tonight as the Judges defeated the visiting Simmons University Sharks, 3-0, in Red Auerbach Arena tonight. Set scores were 27-25, 25-17, 25-16.
TEAM RECORDS
- Brandeis, 1-0.
- Simmons, 0-1.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The first set was a back-and-forth affair that featured 12 ties and three lead changes.
- Simmons scored five of the first six points of the set and maintained their lead until a Kennedy Lilly (Atlanta, Ga. / Eagle's Landing Christian Acad.) service ace tied things up at 8-all.
- Neither team went ahead by more than two points the rest of the set. Brandeis had its first set point at 24-22, but the Sharks answered, as a Judge service error and Simmons ace evened the score at 24.
- Brandeis junior outside hitter Madison Haft-Abromovitch (Stratford, Conn./ Rye Country Day School) tallied kills on three of the last four points to give the Judges the 27-25 win.
- The second set saw another 10 ties and four lead changes early on.
- The Judges had a slim 19-17 lead after a service error, but they bounced back to score the final six points of the set, four coming from Lilly, who had one kill and three service aces, including on the last two points for the 25-17 win.
- Brandeis took control early in the third, going on a 6-1 run after the score was tied at 3-all. Haft-Abromovitch and first-year Emmory Casto (Castle Rock, Colo. / Rock Canyon) each had two points in the run.
- The Judges never trailed again, winning the third set, 25-16.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Haft-Abromovitch led all players with 16 kills, two shy of her career high. She committed just three errors in 29 attacks for a .448 hitting percentage.
- Casto added 10 kills and 11 digs for a double-double in her collegiate debut.
- Lilly had a fine all-around match with seven kills and a team-leading four service aces and three blocks (one solo).
- First-year setter Camila Valenzuela (Winter Park, Fla. / Bishop Moore Catholic) had 34 assists, guiding the team to a .286 hitting percentage.
- Senior Ava Ferrigno (Boca Raton, Fla. / Boca Raton Community) led the defense with 12 digs.
UP NEXT
- The Judges host the Brandeis Invitational this weekend, with the Judges taking on WPI on Friday evening at 5 p.m. to kick things off.
