Playing in the same building that hosted last season's East Coast Athletic Conference championship victory, the volleyball team dominated in similar fashion.The Judges went 4-0 to capture the Brandeis Invitational Tournament championship at the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center Friday and Saturday, defeating Babson College, Rhode Island College, the University of Massachusetts at Boston and Smith College. Brandeis' record now stands at 4-1 after Tuesday's 3-1 season-opening loss at Wellesley College.

"We improved our record and we got to improve on some things," coach Michelle Kim said. "It was a positive weekend for us."

By winning over the weekend, the team maintained the momentum they built in winning last fall's ECAC Championship. The Judges didn't drop a single set during that tournament, defeating Framingham State University, Keene State University and Colby-Sawyer College to win the title, and all key contributors from that squad returned this season.

Brandeis started slowly in their championship match against Smith College Saturday, falling behind 7-2 in the first game. Outside hitter Katie Wrynn '08 served five straight points to give Brandeis its first lead at 14-13, but the game continued back and forth for several minutes until middle blocker Bridget McAllister '10 served six straight points to give Brandeis a 28-24 lead it never relinquished.

The Judges avoided a similarly slow start in the second game, jumping to an early four-point lead and winning 30-18. Kim said the fast start was a key factor in the win.

"[Starting quickly is] definitely a confidence booster," she said. "You can play more aggressively when you are in the lead right away."

The Judges surged to a 12-1 lead in the third game, led by a seven-serve streak from middle blocker Piera Carfagno '10. The Pioneers pulled to within three points on two separate occasions, but the Judges won 30-24 to clinch the tournament title.

Carfagno won the Most Valuable Player award at this event for the second straight year after amassing a .529 hitting percentage in the championship game. Outside hitter Lorraine Wingenbach '09 joined her on the all-tournament team after finishing with 48 kills during the four tournament games.

"[Winning the MVP award is] definitely gratifying, but it's a team effort at the same time," Carfagno said.

Smith College head coach Angela Mills said she was impressed with the Judges, calling them "smart hitters" and saying they were "well-coached."

Earlier in the day, the Judges defeated UMass-Boston 3-0. Led by the serving of rookie outside hitter Elizabeth Villalino '11, Brandeis went on two long rallies in the first game to win 30-10.

The Judges fell behind 7-3 in the second game, but they rallied on Villalino's serve and eventually won 30-17.

Brandeis then put away the third game early, racing to a 15-3 lead behind McAllister's serve on their way to a 30-16 victory.

In Friday's games, the Judges defeated Babson College 3-0 and Rhode Island College 3-1. Led by the serving of Wrynn, who had a 13-point streak in the first game, the team took the first two games 30-12 and 30-22, but lost the third game 30-26 before using key blocks by Wingenbach and McAllister to pull away 30-22 in game four.

The team also struggled in the third game against Babson, falling behind 9-6. Kim called timeout, told the players to "get focused, regroup, and just play volleyball." The Judges responded, going on to win 30-22 after winning the first two games 30-15, 30-21.

The team next plays in a round-robin match at home against Williams College and Bridgewater State College Saturday at 11 a.m.