The volleyball team won two University Athletic Association matches in the same tournament for the first time since 2003 last weekend during its UAA Round Robin in Chicago. After losing 3-1 to Tufts University early in the week, the Judges went 2-2 at the Round Robin Saturday and Sunday. The team defeated host Chicago 3-2, but fell to No. 2 Washington University in St. Louis 3-0 Saturday and No. 14 New York University 3-1 Sunday, before ousting Case Western Reserve University 3-0. Brandeis stands at 10-12 overall and 2-5 in the UAA after the up-and-down week."We remained very consistent throughout the whole weekend," coach Michelle Kim said.

The Judges finished the tournament on a high note, knocking off Case Western in three straight sets, 30-27, 30-22 and 33-31. Middle blocker Piera Carfagno '10 led the team on offense with 17 kills, while fellow rookie middle blocker Bridget McAllister '10 added 14. Captain and libero Shannon Trees '08 paced the team on defense with a game-high 24 digs, while outside hitter Lorraine Wingenbach '09 picked up 10. Setter Violette Ruggerio '09 led the Judges with 51 assists.

"We had to play strong and come back to win the third game, which showed how hard we fought," Trees said.



"We came out a little flat, but I think we can really compete with NYU on any given day," Kim said.

Before taking on Case Western and NYU, the Judges finished off the first day of competition with a 3-0 loss to No. 2 Wash U, 30-25, 30-16 and 30-14. Wingenbach posted nine kills in the loss while Ashley Powers '08 notched seven. Although the Judges dropped three straight to the Bears, players said competing with one of the best teams in the nation was an accomplishment in itself.

"Wash U is a great team and we even hung with them for the first game," Kim said. "But when we play teams like that we just have to control the things on our side of the court."

Before playing Wash U, the Judges opened the Round Robin with their first conference win of the season versus Chicago, in a grueling 3-2 comeback victory. The Judges took game one 35-33, but Chicago responded with the next two wins, 30-21 and 30-22 respectively. The Judges fought back by taking the next two games 30-18 and 15-12, including a late-game comeback in the fifth. Carfagno led the Judges offensively with 15 kills, while Wingenbach recorded 14 and McAllister added 13.

"[The comeback] was unbelievable," Kim said. "I've always said this team can compete and we don't give up, and that's what we did and we did it when it counted."

Though the young Judges are constantly learning, Kim said her team's performance in Chicago demonstrated improvement.

"Being able to come away from a UAA weekend 2-2 is a great thing for us," Kim said. "This weekend was very positive for us going into the rest of the season."

Despite their solid play at the UAA Round Robin, the Judges realize their weaknesses.

"The chemistry off the court is stronger than it is on the court," Carfagno said. "We need to improve our communication on the court and consistently have confidence in ourselves."

The Judges will travel to South Hadley, MA next weekend for the Hall of Fame Tournament.



Before trouncing Case Western, the Judges fell to NYU 3-1. Brandeis lost the first match 30-18, but came back to take the second 30-26, before dropping the last two matches 30-25 and 30-17. Wingenbach notched a double-double against the Violets with 15 kills and 11 digs, while Carfagno recorded 12 kills behind Ruggiero's 41 assists. Trees paced the Judges on defense with 13 digs. Despite the loss, the Judges were able to take a game from the Violets, a feat the team had not accomplished since 2003.

"We came out a little flat, but I think we can really compete with NYU on any given day," Kim said.

Before taking on Case Western and NYU, the Judges finished off the first day of competition with a 3-0 loss to No. 2 Wash U, 30-25, 30-16 and 30-14. Wingenbach posted nine kills in the loss while Ashley Powers '08 notched seven. Although the Judges dropped three straight to the Bears, players said competing with one of the best teams in the nation was an accomplishment in itself.

"Wash U is a great team and we even hung with them for the first game," Kim said. "But when we play teams like that we just have to control the things on our side of the court."

Before playing Wash U, the Judges opened the Round Robin with their first conference win of the season versus Chicago, in a grueling 3-2 comeback victory. The Judges took game one 35-33, but Chicago responded with the next two wins, 30-21 and 30-22 . The Judges fought back by taking the next two games 30-18 and 15-12, including a late-game comeback in the fifth. Carfagno led the Judges offensively with 15 kills, while Wingenbach recorded 14 and McAllister added 13.

"[The comeback] was unbelievable," Kim said. "I've always said this team can compete and we don't give up, and that's what we did and we did it when it counted."

Though the young Judges are constantly learning, Kim said her team's performance in Chicago demonstrated improvement.

"Being able to come away from a UAA weekend 2-2 is a great thing for us," Kim said. "This weekend was very positive for us going into the rest of the season."

Despite their solid play at the UAA Round Robin, the Judges realize their weaknesses.

"The chemistry off the court is stronger than it is on the court," Carfagno said. "We need to improve our communication on the court and consistently have confidence in ourselves."

The Judges will travel to South Hadley, Mass. next weekend for the Hall of Fame Tournament.