After dropping two matches to start the Judges Classic last weekend, the volleyball team did justice to the senior members of the team by defeating Clarkson University 3-1 in its final home game of the season.Earlier Saturday, the Judges were swept 3-0 in a highly anticipated rematch against Tufts University, and they also lost 3-1 to the University of Massachusetts Boston in the first match of the tournament last Friday.

In its final match, Brandeis, now 14-16 overall and 1-6 in University Athletic Association play, fed off of the home crowd's energy and won by margins of 25-15, 26-24, 21-25 and 25-22.

In the first game, the Judges matched the Golden Knights point-for-point, but Brandeis notched 7 out of the last 8 points to clinch at 25-15.

In the second game, Brandeis put forth one of its best displays of talent and persistence all season. Trailing 21-9, Brandeis had its biggest rally of the season, including 10 points in a row at one point, winning the set 26-24.

Coach Michelle Kim was particularly impressed with the team's tenacity during the second set. She said that she was pleased with the squad's "ability to fight back, and even though the squad was tired and drained, they worked hard for every single play," adding that "this is a testament to the effort of our players."

The Golden Knights would not let the third game slip from their hands, and despite another late Brandeis rally, the Judges lost by a score of 25-21. The two teams battled back and forth for every point in the fourth game, and even though neither team was able to hold a comfortable lead in the set, the Judges tallied off the final three points to win 25-22.

Setter Abby Blasco '11 notched 40 assists and 15 digs, while outside hitter Paige Blasco '11 contributed a double-double with 16 kills and 10 digs. Middle blocker Nicole Smith '11 had 13 kills and a .500 kill percentage. On the defensive side, setter Susan Sun '13 added 18 digs to the Judges' victory.

Earlier in the day, Brandeis fell to local rival Tufts and ended up losing by scores of 25-13, 25-19 and 25-8. The Judges played at their highest level in the second game, driving Tufts to the edge of defeat, but ultimately could not close out the game.

Abby Blasco had six kills, 12 assists and 13 digs in the loss to the Jumbos. Paige Blasco also contributed eight kills to the effort.

On Friday night in their first match of the tournament, Brandeis fell to UMass Boston 3-1 by scores of 25-15, 22-25, 26-24 and 25-19. The Judges ceded an early lead to the Beacons and could not recover, quickly falling in the first set. The second set was closer, but a 4-1 run sealed the deal for Brandeis and tied the match at 1-1 apiece.

The third and fourth sets were both equally close, with the two teams each making a run at the end to win a set.

Abby Blasco had another impressive outing, totaling seven kills, 31 assists and 11 digs, while Paige Blasco notched 17 kills and 10 digs. Smith totaled nine kills, while Sun contributed an additional 11 digs.

Now finished with their home schedule for the season, the Judges will travel to Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland this weekend for the UAA Championships.

Kim believes that the key to succeeding in this tournament is to "establish our [the team's] consistency. With adjusted lineups, it's hard to find rhythm. Once we solve that, we have a great shot at this weekend's tournament."

On Friday, the Judges face off against New York University and Washington University in St. Louis. On Saturday, Brandeis will take on Carnegie Mellon University.