After splitting its first two sets against Boston College, the men's club volleyball team trailed 14-8 and faced match point in the third and final set of the third annual Brandeis Invitational Alumni Tournament Championship on Oct. 9. However, the Judges, who lost to BC in the regional semifinals last year, won the final set 18-16 after withstanding seven match points from the Eagles.

"To beat them this year [and] to show how much we improved from last year was very exhilarating," said captain David Perlow '11 MA '12.

In the first set, the Judges rallied to win the first few points of the match against BC, the defending champions of the National Collegiate Volleyball League. However, the Eagles evened the score and, after a close set, came out on top with a 25-23 victory.

But the Judges started strong in the second set and controlled the lead by five to six points throughout to win by a score of 25-19.

In the deciding 15-point set, BC led 8-6 when both squads switched sides at the midpoint of the set. Afterward, the Judges committed several passing and hitting errors, giving BC a 14-8 lead. BC needed just one more point to claim the title, but the Judges did not let that happen.

"We just got on a run," Perlow said. "We were digging every ball they hit at us. We put balls away. We basically had to play a perfect sequence of seven points."

After evening the set at 14-14, the Judges faced another match point after BC pulled ahead 15-14. However, Brandeis was able to rally again and win the final set 18-16.

"It was definitely the most intense ending to a mach that I have ever experienced in my career here," Perlow said.

Before defeating BC in the finals, Brandeis swept Boston University's club team in two sets in the semifinals, as well as the varsity squad from Elms College and the club team from Yale University in three sets during pool play.

Elms presented the Judges with a definitive challenge in facing a varsity team, according to Perlow.

"That was the big test for us," he said. "We wanted to see how we matched up against an actual varsity team. … We were riding high after that one."

The team's only loss in the tournament was to the Brandeis alumni team. However, the Judges clinched the No. 1 seed in their pool prior to facing the other Brandeis team, and played backups in the loss.

The men's club volleyball team next plays in the BU Invitational Tournament from Dec. 3 to 4. A mixture of 32 varsity and club squads from New England and the Midwest will compete.