The Emerson College Lions defeated the Judges by a score of  3–1 in the Tri-State match on Oct. 26. Their second match against Manhattanville College was cancelled. The Judges’ starters were Marissa Borgert ’21, Emma Bartlett ’20, Emily Morrison ’23, Avery Donovan ’21, Belle Scott ’21 and Amelia Oppenheimer ’23. 

First set

The first set started with a pair of runs by both teams. The Lions started with a five-point run to take the lead with a score of 9–3. Next, the Judges followed with their own five-point run to close the gap to 9–8. The Lions came back with another run and the score was soon 17–11, but the Judges would not give up and brought the score back to 19 all. The Lions and Judges then traded points before the Lions finally amassed a four-point run to win the set with a score of 25–21.

Second Set

In the second set, the Lions took and early lead on a five-point run to make the score 13–8. However, the Judges rallied to cut the Lions lead to only two points with a score of 15–13. The Judges then kept the set close until the Lions increased their lead with four straight points to take a commanding lead of 22–16. The Lions then finished the set at 25–18.

Third Set

In the third set, the Judges changed up their game. After allowing the Lions to take a 7–4 lead, they turned on the heat and responded to take a huge lead of 18–12. The Lions were unable to come back, and on a kill from Talia Freud ’23, the Judges won the third set 25–10. 

Fourth Set

However, in the fourth set, the Lions came back from their loss in the third with a 8–1 run to start the set. Though the Judges tried, the Lions kept their eight-point lead most of the set and finished out with a 25–16 result.

The Judges’ Bartlett led the team with 13 kills, 11 digs and three service aces. Scott followed with 12 kills, 12 digs and one service ace, while Borgert finished with 29 assists, three kills, five digs and five assists, and Kaitlyn Oh ’22 finished with 17 digs, five assists and one service ace. The Brandeis team had a hitting percentage of .121, which is lower than Emerson’s .224. The Judges finished with an impressive 64 digs and seven aces, but it just wasn’t enough to win the match. 

Coaches

In recent years, the team is led by head coach Alesia Bennett who is in her sixth season coaching the Judges and her ninth total as a coach. Prior to her time at Brandeis, Bennett was the head coach of Simmons College since 2011. In 2012, Coach Bennett was awarded the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Thirty Under Thirty Award. 

In addition to Bennet, the team’s two assistant coaches, Kayla Gromen and Cailyn Straubel, help lead the team toward success. Gromen is in her second year coaching the Brandeis team, having graduating from Ithaca College in 2018. Straubel is also in her second year coaching the Judges having graduating from Connecticut College in 2016. 

Upcoming games

The Judges approach their final matches this season, including the UAA championships in Chicago, Illinois at the University of Chicago on Nov. 9 and 10.  

Next up for Brandeis is Wellesley College on Oct. 31 at home. Game time is 7 p.m.