On Saturday, Sept. 21, at Steake Arena, the Brandeis women’s volleyball team played two opponents, winning one game and losing the other. These games took place away, with the Judges traveling to meet their opponents at host Babson College's home court. 

The Judges played their first match against Endicott College, taking home an impressive victory. According to the Brandeis Athletics website, “Brandeis never trailed by more than one point in the entire match, a couple of times late in the second set and again early in the third set.” The Judges were able to force Endicott into a negative hitting percentage with their strong defensive skills, while securing “45 digs to just 29 for Endicott.”

The two star players of this game were Lara Verstovsek ’25 and Anna Ertischek ’26, each obtaining 14 kills. Tatiana Wainer ’25 led net defense with three blocks. In addition to her kills, Verstovsek was recognized on the Brandeis Athletics website for “[leading] the team with 12 digs for her third double-double in a row, seventh of the season and 25th of her career.” The Judges ended up winning this match with a final score of 3-0.

The second match of the day commenced with Brandeis playing the Babson Beavers. Unfortunately for the Judges, this match was less successful than the prior. The final score ended up being 3-0 for the Beavers, though Brandeis put up a solid fight. Verstovsek was once again a dominating force on the court, securing another 13 kills. Ertischek also continued to shine as the second highest in this category with a count of eight more kills. 

Though the game against Babson was a tough one, the day was not all bad, as the 3-0 victory against Endicott was great for the Judges. The team has a break before their next game at home on Wednesday night as they get ready to travel to New York, New York to face New York University, the University of Chicago,and Carnegie Mellon University. They are hopeful for more 3-0 wins in the future.