AMHERST, Mass. – The Brandeis University volleyball team dropped three matches against NESCAC opponents this weekend at the 2014 Hall of Fame Invitational at Amherst College. With the losses, the Judges are now 5-20 on the season.

Coach Alesia Vaccari's squad opened the weekend against Middlebury College (10-9). The Judges got off to a fast start, splitting the first two sets with the Panthers. Middlebury won the first set 25-14, but Brandeis took the second, 25-21, with a terrific .290 hitting percentage. The Judges led wire-to-wire in the second thanks to a six-point run that featured two kills from senior Shemira Pennyman (Meridan, Conn./Francis T. Maloney) and two Elsie Bernaiche (Plantsville, Conn./Southington) service aces. Middlebury responded with a 25-17 win in the third set and ran away with the fourth, opening up a 20-2 lead before the Judges clawed back to make it 25-13.

For the match, junior Maddie Engeler (Sandusky, Ohio/St. Mary Catholic Central) led all players with 12 kills and just four errors in 31 attempts for a .258 hitting percentage. She also had a solo block. Rookie Jessie Moore added nine kills and a block assist. Rookie setter Julie Kim (Fullerton, Calif./Troy) added 29 assists, while Bernaiche finished with a match-high 21 digs. Junior Summer Koop (Long Valley, N.J./West Morris Central) and sophomore Jessica Kaufman (Tucson, Ariz./Cienaga) each had three -0blocks.

In their next match, Brandeis met tournament co-host Amherst (18-6) on their own floor. The Judges suffered a three-set defeat, 25-10, 25-14, 25-19. Moore had a team-high with eight kills and a .167 hitting percentage (8-5-18). She was one of three players with seven digs, behind Bernaiche's team-high 11. Engeler contributed two solo blocks, while junior setter Maggie Swenson (East Lyme, Conn./East Lyme) had 16 assists, two shy of a season-high.  

The Judges wrapped up against Tufts University (17-7), falling 25-14, 25-9, 25-16. Brandeis came up against a stiff front line for the Jumbos that produced 10 blocks. Offensively, Engeler, Koop and Moore each had five kills. Bernaiche had a match-high 15 digs and Moore added four of the team's five service aces. Swenson finished with 14 assists.

For her efforts, Engeler, who had 20 kills, a team-high .125 hitting percentage and three solo blocks, earned All-Tournament honors.

The Judges return home for their next three matches: Tuesday night against Lasell College at 7 p.m. and a Saturday tri-match with Babson and Eastern Connecticut State.