ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The Brandeis University volleyball team stayed within six points in each of its six sets today on the first day of action at the first University Athletic Association (UAA) round robin, but the Judges were unable to pull them out, falling to Carnegie Mellon and NYU by 3-0 scores.

TEAM RECORDS

• Brandeis, 5-3, 0-2 UAA.
• Carnegie Mellon, 7-2, 1-1 UAA.
• NYU, 7-2, 1-1 UAA.

HOW IT HAPPENED, CMU (25-23, 25-22, 25-23)

• The first set was a tight affair, with neither team leading by more than three points. The Judges were ahead, 23-21, but Carnegie Mellon scored the final four points, including a pair of service aces by Laura Reichard, to take it, 25-23.
• The second set also saw no lead larger than three points. Once again, the Judges held a late lead, at 21-20, but the Tartans closed things out with five of the last six points for the 25-22 win.
• Brandeis had an early 8-5 lead, but CMU won the next four points of the set and never trailed again. The Judges survived two match points at 24-21, but couldn't force extra points in a 25-23 loss.

HOW IT HAPPENED, NYU (25-21, 25-20, 25-19)

• Coming off a five-set loss to host Washington University in the round robin opener, NYU started strong against the Judges. They opened up an 8-3 lead and never trailed again. Brandeis scored four points in a row after facing their first set point, but fell, 25-21.
• The Violets started strong again in set two, scoring six of the first seven points. They eventually went up, 12-4, and even though the Judges had a couple of four-point runs, it wasn't enough to get back in as they lost, 25-20.
• Brandeis took their first lead in the third set, going up 7-4 on a kill by grad student Sydney Bent (Raleigh, N.C. / Ransom Everglades School (Fla.). The Judges were still ahead, 11-9, when NYU scored six in a row to go up, 15-11, and the Violets closed it out, 25-19.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORES

• Bent was Brandeis's top offensive threat in the two matches, totaling 11 kills, three service aces and two three against Carnegie Mellon and nine kills, two aces and two blocks against NYU. She hit for a .244 percentage on the day.
• Bent also led the squad with 18 digs in the first match and was second with 14 in the second contest.
• First-year Anna Ertischek (Montgomery, Texas / Lake Creek) was the Judges' second line of attack, tallying eight kills in each match and hitting .208 across the two matches.
• Junior setter Ines Grom-Mansencal (Cincinnati, Ohio/Wyoming) had two double-doubles on the afternoon, finishing with 21 assists and 13 digs against the Tartans and 17 and a team-high 16 against the Violets. She also had a career-high six kills against NYU.

UP NEXT

• The Judges close out the first UAA Round Robin against host Washington University on Sunday at 11 AM Eastern (10 Central).