WALTHAM, Mass. – In the second meeting between the two teams in four days, the Brandeis University volleyball team dropped a 3-0 decision to visiting Tufts University in Red Auerbach Arena tonight. Set scores were 25-16, 25-12, 25-20. The Judges drop to 4-4 with the loss, while the 21st-ranked Jumbos improve to 5-0.
Brandeis was paced by senior Kaisa Newberg (Reno, Nev. / Sage Ridge School), who had seven kills, while three other Judges had five each. Sophomore setter Ines Grom-Mansenecal (Cincinnati, Ohio/Wyoming) had a match-high 23 assists, while classmate Ella Pereira (Redondo Beach, Calif. / Rolling Hills Prep) topped all players with 11 digs.
Tufts used a balanced attack for the win, with seven different players recording multiple kills. Cate Desler led the Jumbos with eight kills, while Rileigh Farragher had seven and Jennelle Yarwood added six. Ariel Zedric led the visitors with 17 assists, while Stephanie Lee had nine digs.
The Jumbo defense was excellent, holding Brandeis to a negative hitting percentage, while they were efficient on offense, hitting at a .345 clip (35 K-6 E-84 TA).
Things will not get any easier for the Judges, who travel to Chicago for the first of three University Athletic Association Round Robins. The Judges will meet Carnegie Mellon and #5-ranked Emory on Saturday and Case Western Reserve on Sunday.