In her first season at the helm for the Judges, Coach Michelle Kim has high expectations for the women's volleyball team and some big shoes to fill. Last season, in the highly competitive UAA conference, the team finished 27-15, tying the school record for wins, and placing second in the ECAC Tournament.

This year's team will have to work extremely hard to fill the gaps left by graduated captains Marni Kutok '04 and Isabel DeKoninck '04 as well as starter Tiffany Wos, who transfered. Since the team lost two of its powerful outside hitters, Jenny Sandler '08 and Billie Hall '07 will be expected to step in and step up.

The team is led by captains Shannon Eagan '05, Jen Lobban '05 and Becca Segal '05. It seems that this year's team is full of new things.

"[The team] has an exciting new energy. We have four talented and capable freshman, experienced players who play key roles and a new coach who provides a new outlook," Segal said.

This year's team is also made up of a strong group of returning players as well as a talented group of first-years. With three seniors, one junior, two sophomores and four first-years, the team is on the younger side, but each woman knows how talented this year's team is.

"The team has very good chemistry this year and they are constantly pushing each other hard," Kim said.

Although Kim is the new head coach, she is hardly new to the Brandeis women's volleyball program, having been the assistant coach for the last five years.

"The new coaching staff is only a small change. I have already been there for five years so I have already been able to develop a good relationship with all of the returning players," Kim said.

With that new excitement serving as momentum, the team headed to the Springfield Invitational Tournament at Springfield College this weekend full of excitement. The squad fared very well at the tournament, coming out with a 2-2 record, against some of the toughest competition.

The team faced Roger Williams College and nationally ranked Springfield College, on Friday. Roger Williams defeated the Judges 3-1, 17-30, 30-28, 30-22, 30-28. Hall had 17 digs while Lobban led the Judges with 15 kills, but it was not enough to stave off defeat.

In their second match on Friday the Judges turned it around, defeating Western Connecticut State University 3-1, 30-19, 30-24, 28-30, 30-19. Hall led Brandeis wih 19 digs while Sandler paced the Judges with 13 kills.

On Saturday, the Judges fell to the top-ranked host Springfield 3-1, with game scores of 30-26, 27-30, 30-25, 30-20. Sandler had a standout peformance in the match, recording 17 kills and 19 digs, both team highs.

In the final match of the tournament on Saturday night, the Judges ended on a positive note defeating Rhode Island College in four games, 29-31, 30-22, 30-26, 30-23. Segal led the way with her 10 kills, while Hall again anchored the defense with 16 digs.

"[The tournament was] a fun way to start playing together," Lobban said. "It was good to see how everyone played together, as a team, and it was a good way to see everyone's strengths and weaknesses and see what we need to work on.