The Auerbach Arena and Shapiro Gym were bustling with energy and competitive spirit last Sunday, as Brandeis hosted the annual UAA conference volleyball tournament.

Brandeis lost to the number 5 seed Emory in their first match of the day, 0-3 in a tough match. Emory, undefeated in the UAA, had several streaks in each set to get ahead of the Judges. Anna Ertischek ’26 led the Judges in 11 kills, her “fourth-straight match with double kills,” according to statistics from Brandeis Athletics. Lara Verstovsek ’25, the team leader in overall kills, helped offensively while libero Ella Pereira ’24 and Arianna Jackson ’25 led the Judges on defense. 

The Judges won their second game of the day against Rochester with their best-hitting match of the season, taking home their first UAA win. Brandeis had the upper hand with 48-35 total digs in the match as the Judges took the match in three sets. Verstovsek once again led the team with kills and Ines Grom-Mansencal ’24 matched the high intensity with 33 assists and a team-high 11 digs.

Following the conference round-robin, Brandeis is 1-6 in the UAA with five non-conference matches coming up this week. Given the strong performance against Rochester and the tough loss to Emory, these upcoming matches leading into the end-of-season UAA Tournament will be critical to regaining momentum for the Judges. Head to Auerbach Arena to cheer them on!