ATLANTA, Ga. – The Brandeis University volleyball team ran up against some stiff competition at the first University Athletic Association Round Robin at Emory University this weekend. The Judges met fourth-ranked Washington University, defending champions Chicago and rival NYU, but the Judges went 0-3, dropping all nine sets they played. The Judges fell to 5-13 on the season, 0-3 in the UAA.
Against perennial power WashU, the Judges fell, 25-11, 25-15, 25-11. Rookie Jessie Moore and junior Maddie Engeler (Sandusky, Ohio/St. Mary Central Catholic) each had three kills, while senior libero Elsie Bernaiche (Plantsville, Conn./Southington) had 11 digs, tied for match-high.
After struggling in the opening set against Chicago, 25-6, Brandeis nearly picked up their first set win of the weekend before falling, 29-27. The Judges opened up a 16-10 lead on the Maroons, but UC rallied to take the lead as the set approached 25. Facing two set points at 22-24, Brandeis senior Shemira Pennyman (Meridan, Conn./Francis T. Maloney) and Moore recorded back-to-back kills to force the game into extra points. At attack error gave Chicago another set point at 25-24, but sophomore Jessica Kaufman (Tucson, Ariz./Cienaga) notched back-to-back kills to bring up set point for the Judges. After UC called timeout, they won back-to-back points to earn their fourth set point, but Kaufman and junior Summer Koop (Long Valley, N.J./West Morris Central) put down a block to tie the set at 27. Unfortunately for Brandeis, Chicago was able to find their rhythm and win the final two points to claim the set. The Maroons raced out to a 9-3 lead in the final set and took it, 25-15, to close out the win.
The Judges had a balanced attack in the match with Chicago, with five different players recording four or five kills. Pennyman and Koop led the way with five each, while Moore, Kaufman and Engeler had four apiece. Bernaiche had a match-high 20 digs, while rookie setter Julie Kim (Fullerton, Calif./Troy) registered a double-double with 16 assists and 10 digs. Koop and Kaufman tied with two Chicago players with three block assists each.
In their final match against NYU, the Judges fell by scores of 25-6, 25-20, 25-19. The second set was the closest again, tied at 20 before the Violets claimed the last five points for the win. Moore led the Judges with six kills, adding a career-high 10 digs. Bernaiche tied for match-high honors with 15 digs, while Kim's 13 assists and 14 digs gave her six double-doubles on the season. She also had two block assists, while Engeler finished with four blocks in the match, two solo.
The Judges are off for two weeks until Oct. 18, when they play their remaining four UAA opponents in the second round-robin at Washington University in St. Louis.