Since the last recap article about their team, the Brandeis volleyball season has been well underway with eight additional matches to cover in this article. Through those matches, the Judges’ volleyball team played in two tournaments, one of which they hosted; the Brandeis Invitational #2.
The first match the Judges volleyball team played since our last publication about them was on Sept. 4, at Simmons College. The Judges came away victorious in a 3-1 win against the Simmons Sharks. This was an especially monumental game for the Judges as senior outside hitter Lara Verstovsek ’25 became just the 10th player in Judges’ history to reach 1,000 kills within their career. The match got off to a slow start for the Judges as they lost the first set to the Sharks 23-25, however, they were able to harness the necessary dominance to win the following three sets to capture the win. The Judges were led in assists by first-year setter Samantha Lin ’28 with 21.
Next, the Judges traveled to Saratoga Springs, NY for their following three games which were a part of the Skidmore Invitational.
Fittingly, their first match at the tournament was against the Skidmore Thoroughbreds on Sept. 6. The Judges were untouchable in this match and subsequently came away with one of their most dominant wins yet. The first set was especially impressive as the Judges only allowed the Thoroughbreds six points to their 25 winning points. Anna Ertischek ’26 was the Judges’ star of the match having set a record for the Judges with the highest single-match hitting percentage to date with .750 for the match. This was .30 higher than the previous record set by Liz Hood ’14 during the 2011 season. Another notable takeaway from the match was that Ava Ferrigno ’27, a defensive specialist for the Judges, has a twin sister who plays for the Skidmore Thoroughbreds.
The following day, the Judges played in back-to-back two matches.
First, they faced the Southern University of New York (SUNY) Cortland Red Dragons. The Judges were looking for a repeat of their match against Skidmore, but the exact opposite was unfortunately true. The Judges were not able to win a single set against the Red Dragons. The first set was an exciting one as the Judges rallied from a 10-2 deficit to tie things up, though they ultimately fell to Cortland. This first set loss seemed to set the tone for the rest of the match as the Judges were not able to break the 20-point barrier for the two remaining sets they played.
Coming off of just their second loss of the 2024 season, the Judges were hungry to bounce back in their match against the Williams College Ephs. They did just that as they won the match in three sets, shutting out their opponent. Though the box score depicts a dominant win for the Judges, there were several ties and lead changes during the first and second set. After this wavering play, the Judges started off the fourth set against the Ephs with a 4-1 advantage which they never relinquished.
After several games on the road, the Judges were close to home for their match against the Lasell University Lasers in neighboring Newton, MA. During this match, the Judges came out of the gate strong with a 25-22 win against the Lasers, though this was sadly the only set they were able to win on this day.
The final three matches of this recap were a part of the second invitational of the season that the Judges hosted.
Their first match of the tournament was against the Westfield State University Owls. This match was won dominantely by the Judges in an efficient three sets. The first set was especially strong for the Judges as they had a 17-point lead prior to the 14-point final tally. The second set was closer with eight ties and five lead changes. The third set was more like the first as the Judges never trailed, though the Owls did get close to capturing the lead on a few occasions as they only lost the set by four points. Ertischek and Verstovsek tied for match-high honors with 13 and 12 kills each. Together, they hit .380 (25 K-6 E-50 TA) and the Judges hit a collective .267.
Later the same evening, the Judges played in one of their most entertaining matches of the season, against the Bowdoin College Polar Bears. The Judges got off to an uncharacteristic slow start as they lost the first two sets. However, they seemed to establish their footing as they won the third and fourth set in dominant fashion. Verstovsek ’25 answered the visitors’ first match point with a kill to force extra points, but a kill from the Polar Bears gave Bowdoin a second match point, and the Judges’ attack went long, giving the Polar Bears the 16-14 win. Despite the loss, this match was an exciting featured Friday-night athletic event that drew in many fans to support their Judges.
In the Judges’ most recent match, they faced the Springfield College Spirit at home. This match was essentially a mirror-image of the Judges’ match against Bowdoin, however, this time they were able to win the final set and come away with a 3-2 win.
Looking ahead, the Judges will be playing a tri-match at Babson College along with Endicott College on Saturday, Sept. 21. If you are looking for some fun plans for the fall equinox, celebrate by making the short drive over to Wellesley to support your Judges as they look to extend their 7-4 record to 10-4!
