WALTHAM, Massachusetts — The Brandeis University volleyball team won three tight sets after dropping the opener to visiting Bates College tonight in Auerbach Arena. The Bobcats took the first set, 25-21, but the Judges prevailed by the slimmest of margins in the next three, 25-23, 28-26, 25-23. Brandeis improves to 4-5 on the season, Bates falls to 2-4.

BRANDEIS'S BALANCED ATTACK

• The Judges continued their trend of winning by spreading the ball around thanks to sophomore setters Leah Pearlman (El Paso, Texas/El Paso) and Marlee Nork (Chicago, Ill./Walter Payton College Prep).  
• Both players registered season-highs in assists, with Pearlman establishing a career-high with 32 and Nork finish with 19, one shy of her career-best. 
• Four different Brandeis players reached double digits in kills, but none had more than 11.
• Junior Jessie Moore (Rye, N.Y./Rye), sophomore Shea Decker-Jacoby (Los Angeles, Cal./Marymount) and rookie Emma Bartlett (Duxbury, Mass./Duxbury) all had 11 kills, while sophomore Zara Platt (Fountain Valley, Calif. / Fountain Valley) finished with 10.
• Moore recorded her first career double-double by adding a career-high 21 digs to her 11 kills. Her previous career-best was 10 digs.
• Decker-Jacoby led the Judges in hitting at .346, picking up just two errors in 26 attempts to get her 11 kills.
• Sophomore Kirsten Frauens (Webster, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) paced the defense to eight team blocks at the net with five block assists and one solo, while Bartlett added five block assists.
• Defensively, sophomore Yvette Cho (San Diego, Calif. / Rancho Bernardo) led the way with a match-high 23 digs and sophomore Grace Krumpack (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colraine) had 18.
• Cho also had a team-high four service aces, including three in a row early in the third set.

FOR BATES

• Senior Chandler McGrath (Seal Beach, Calif./Marymount) led all players with 17 kills. She also hit a team-high .262 (17 K-6 E-42 TA).
• Junior Jacqueline Forney (Bloomington, Ind./Bloomington South) had a double-double with 22 assists and 16 digs.
• Sophomore Claire Naughton (Darien, Conn./Darien) served up seven of the Bobcats' 13 aces.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• The match featured 32 ties and 15 lead changes, including 13 ties and six lead changes in the third set and 11 ties, five lead changes in the fourth.
• The Judges' .200 team hitting percentage was their highest since the season opener against Smith, when they hit .207.
• In two of their previous three matches, Brandeis had won the first set and dropped the next three before turning the tables and doing the same to Bates tonight.

UP NEXT

• Brandeis looks to get back to .500 next Thursday at home against Emerson.
• Bates travels to Connecticut College Saturday at 2 p.m. for the NESCAC opener.