CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Brandeis University volleyball team dropped its consolation semifinal today at the 2021 University Athletic Association tournament, running into host Case Western Reserve University. The Spartans picked up a 3-1 win by set scores of 25-18, 17-25, 25-20, 25-22. With the loss, the Judges fall to 8-19 on the season. They will meet the University of Rochester in tomorrow's seventh-place match at 10 a.m. Case improves to 13-13 and will take on Washington University for fifth place tomorrow.

In the first set, Case Western Reserve, coached by Karen (Chambers) Farrell '93, raced out to an 8-2 lead and never looked back. The Spartans hit a match-best .382 for the set, overcoming Brandeis's respectable .241 team hitting percentage, en route to the 25-18 win. The Judges bounced back in the second, as they hit .243 as a team, while limiting CWRU to .143. Brandeis never trailed in the set, though the Spartans hung close and were within one at 11-10. The Judges ran off seven of the next eight points and took the second, 25-17.

The third and fourth sets were nip-and-tuck affairs, with each featuring eight ties, but Case Western Reserve prevailed in each. The third was knotted at 19-all before the hosts closed on a 6-1 run to take it 25-20. The fourth was even closer, tied at 22-22, when CWRU win the last three points to close out the match and avoid a fifth set.

Brandeis had several notable performances, let by first-year outside hitter Lara Verstovsek (Bellaire, Texas/Episcopal), who had 13 kills and eight digs. Sophomore Rita Lai (Sugar Land, Texas/Clements) registered a career-high nine blocks (one solo) to go along with six kills, while classmate Ella Pereira (Redondo Beach, Calif./Rolling Hills Prep) just missed a double-double with nine kills and 17 digs. Sophomore setter Ines Grom-Mansenecal (Cincinnati, Ohio/Wyoming) did get the double-double on the night for the Judges with a match-high 40 assists to go with 16 digs. Senior libero Kaitlyn Oh (Santa Clara, Calif./Cupertino) led all players with 30 digs, her season-high and the third-most of her career. Junior Amelia Oppenheimer (The Woodlands, Texas/The Woodlands) also neared the double-double plateau with eight kills and 11 digs. '

CWRU was led by Rea Marfatia, who had a match-high 19 kills with 19 digs. Jennifer Ngo had 15 kills and three service aces for the home team, and Sara Rogers had 35 assists and 20 digs.