The women’s volleyball team extended its winning streak to four games with road wins over the long week. The Judges started off the week with a 3-1 win against Rivier University and then made their way to two 3-0 wins over Salem State University and Bridgewater State University this past weekend. 

Judges 3, Salem St. 0

The Vikings brought their A-game, jumping out to a quick 18-10 lead in the first set and taking advantage of some costly errors by the Judges. Brandeis clawed their way back to tie the game at 20 a piece, needing a few more points for the win. After a tenuous 4-2 run, outside hitter Shea Decker-Jacoby ’19 polished off the comeback with a kill to secure the Judges’ first set victory.  

The Vikings hit back hard, climbing back from a 21-17 deficit to bring them within one point of the Judges. The Vikings then took the lead, eclipsing the Judges’ 21 points with two aces in a row to put the team up 22-21. With the Judges fearing for the worst, Decker-Jacoby and outside hitter Clare Meyers ’21 were able to calm their fears and stave off the Vikings’ run. The two combined for two kills in the last points of the game to seal the Judges’ win at 26-24.  Despite a .333 hit percentage and 14 kills by the Judges, the Vikings were able to put up a commendable fight.

Salem State was not about to back down after coming so close in two straight sets. The squad took an early 12-11 lead over the Judges, but the Judges kicked back harder, taking advantage of what would be fatal errors for the Vikings. The Judges bounced back for a 19-16 lead only to lose it once again after two successive kills by junior middle hitter Jasmine Severino. With a win within sight, the Vikings lost sight of the ball once more, committing two final errors to cede victory to the Judges.  Though the Judges racked up more errors than did Salem State, the Vikings could not hold it together when it mattered most. 

The Judges improved to 15-11 on the year, one of their best records in recent memory. 

Judges 3, Bridgewater St. 0

The Judges made mincemeat of the Bears, cracking the Bridgewater State team in three straight sets. The Judges came out confident with a 14-5 lead in the first set, extending their lead to 18-6 with a trio of aces from setter Marlee Nork ’19. The Judges conquered their outplayed opponents with back-to-back kills by none other than Decker-Jacoby to seal the 25-11 victory. 

The Bears wet the proverbial bed in the second set, giving up an early 11-2 lead to the Judges. The Judges stooped to their opponent’s level, committing six straight errors, but managed to regain their composure for a 15-12 lead. After their mid-set crisis, the Judges regained their mojo and fired ahead for a 25-16 smashing. 

With the Judges in clear sight of victory, the Bears blindsided the Brandeis squad, coming out of the gates with a 8-3 tear. The Judges failed to make a large enough dent in their deficit, falling behind 14-11 after three costly errors. One by one the Judges crawled back to their throne, pulling ahead for the 17-16 lead after a 6-2 run. They finally asserted themselves, breaking off for a comfortable 23-18 lead late in the third. With the game set at 24-19, setter Megan Osorio Moran ’21 paralyzed the Bears’ defense with a tranquilizing service ace to put the Bears’ hopes of winning to sleep.