WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University volleyball team dropped a 3-0 match against visiting Bowdoin College tonight in Red Auerbach Arena. Set scores were 25-17, 25-23, 25-22. The Judges fall to 6-17 with the loss, while the Polar Bears improve to 15-4.
Brandeis got off to relatively quick starts in each of the first two sets, but the Polar Bears rallied each time. In the opener, the hosts scored five of the first six points and were still ahead at 6-3 after a kill by senior Belle Scott (Portland, Ore./Oregon Episcopal School). Bowdoin answered by scoring the next nine points on the serve of Jaida Hodge-Adams, who had the kill start the run, then added three service aces, to put the visitors ahead, 12-6, en route to the 25-17 win.
In the second set, it was a 5-0 lead for the Judges on the serve of sophomore setter Ines Grom-Mansenecal (Cincinnati, Ohio/Wyoming). Brandeis maintained the advantage at 9-6 when Bowdoin made their move, going on an 8-2 run to take a 14-11 lead. Adrienne Miller had three kills in the key run for the Polar Bears. Bowdoin led by as many as five points when Ella Haugen's service ace made it 23-18. Brandeis battled back, scoring five of the next six points to get within 24-23 on a terrific solo block by senior Kaisa Newberg (Reno, Nev./Sage Ridge), but Hodge-Adams got a kill on the next point to close out the second, 25-23.
The third set was the most competitive of the three, featuring eight ties and seven lead changes. Brandeis got off to another fast start, taking a 6-1 lead thanks to two kills by rookie Lara Verstovsek (Bellaire, Texas/Episcopal). Bowdoin rallied with a 9-2 run of their own, going ahead, 10-8, after a pair of Brandeis errors. Neither team led by more than three points after that, with strings of three- and four-point runs by each team keeping them within shouting distance. A late run featuring a kill by Verstovsek and a block Scott and sophomore Rita Lai (Sugar Land, Texas / Clements) and a Bowdoin error gave the Judges a 22-21 lead. The Polar Bears called timeout to halt the Brandeis momentum, and kills from Cori Gray and Sophia Pahl helped the visitors score the last four points to take it, 25-22.
For the match, Verstovsek led all players with 12 kills, her 11th match with double digit kills this season. Junior Amelia Oppenheimer (The Woodlands, Texas/The Woodlands) added eight kills and two service aces, while Scott finished with a season-high seven kills. Newberg finished with six kills (two solo), her fourth match with at least six this season. Grom-Mansenecal tallied her 10th double-double of the season with 25 assists and 16 digs, while sophomore libero Ella Pereira (Redondo Beach, Calif./Rollins Hills Prep) led all players defensively with 19 digs.
Bowdoin was paced by Sophia Pall's 11 kills, while Gray had eight and three other players had five each. Ella Haugan had 33 assists and Maya White had 18 digs to lead the Polar Bears. Bowdoin had 41 total kills to Brandeis's 35 and the visitors outhit the Judges, .198 to .098, for the match.
Brandeis is off until next Thursday evening at Wellesley College at 7 p.m. Bowdoin is at Emerson tomorrow at 11 a.m. for a tri-match with Manhattanville College.