ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Brandeis University volleyball team is guaranteed its best finish in the University Athletic Association in nearly a decade as the eighth-seeded Judges upset fifth-seeded Case Western Reserve University, 3-1, in the consolation semifinals of the UAA tournament tonight. Set scores were 12-25, 25-13, 25-20, 25-20. The Judges, who improve to 12-17 on the season, move on to tomorrow's fifth-place match, while the Spartans fall to 17-14, and will play in the seventh-place match.

HOW IT HAPPENED (12-25, 25-13, 25-20, 25-20)

• The Judges got off to a slow start, hitting in the negative numbers in their opening set as the Spartans rolled to the 25-12 win. CWRU opened with a 7-1 lead and never looked back.
• Brandeis turned the tables in the second set, hitting a terrific .436 (19 kills, 2 errors, 39 attempts) as they took a 25-13 decision. The Judges went on two different 4-0 runs in the set to keep Case Western Reserve at bay and closed on a 4-1 run, with two kills by senior Shea Decker-Jacoby (Los Angeles, Calif./Marymount) closing things out.
• In the tighter third and fourth sets, the Judges hit an identical .167, with 14 kills and seven errors in 42 attempts, but they held CWRU to .000 and .088 down the stretch to take the wins.
• In the third set, Brandeis clung to a 17-16 lead but closed on an 8-4 run, with rookie Emerson White (Lexington, Ky./Sayre) recording two kills and two blocks in the deciding run for a 25-20 win.
• The fourth set was a back-and-forth affair. Both teams owned three-point leads early in the second, but it was tied at 17-all. The Judges closed strong again, scoring eight of the final 11 points to take another 25-20 win. Eight different Brandeis players contributed points in the final run, with junior Emma Bartlett (Duxbury, Mass./Duxbury) putting down the game-winning kill.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Decker-Jacoby matched her season high with 18 kills and had a season-best .432 hitting percentage (18 K-2 E-37 TA).
• Bartlett also reached double figures in kills with 13, while also contributing five block assists.
• White had a tremendous game at the net, finishing with a career-high eight blocks, three of which were solo.
• Sophomore Marissa Borgert (Blaine, Minn./Spring Lake Park) and senior Marlee Nork (Chicago, Ill./Walter Payton College Prep split setting duties, finishing with 26 and 23, respectively.
• Rookie Kaitlyn Oh (Santa Clara, Calif./Cupertino) paced the defense with 26 digs. Two other players reached double figures for Brandeis, senior Grace Krumpack (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain) and rookie Stephanie Borr (Westfield, N.J./Westfield), with 15 and 11 each.
• The Judges outhit CWRU, .186-.137, and finished with eight service aces to three for the Spartans.

UAA HISTORY

• This was the Judges' first win at the UAA tournament since 2010, when Brandeis finished in seventh place.