The Judges were on the brink of defeat in their first match on Saturday at the Western Connecticut State University Invitational. WCSU took the first set by a 25-20 margin while Brandeis evened the score with a 25-17 victory in the second set.

The hosts pulled ahead with a decisive 25-16 win in the third set and, from there, looked to clinch the overall match.

Brandeis, however, had other plans. The squad rallied to secure a 27-25 victory in the fourth set and force a tiebreaker.

While WSCU eventually fended off a furious comeback by the Judges in the final set, prevailing in a 16-14 tiebreak, setter Yael Einhorn '14 noted it was one of the most frenetic and fast-paced matches she had ever played in.

"Even though the record shows that we lost the game, it was one of the most fun and intense games I have ever played in in my Brandeis career," she said. "Volleyball is all about forgetting mistakes and moving on to the next point. Unfortunately the game did not end in our favor, but we were able to forget about it, look at all the positives from that game and apply it to the next one."

Outside hitter Liz Hood '15 led the offensive charge with 12 kills. Libero Elsie Bernaiche '15 and outside hitter Si-Si Hensley '14 took care of business on the defensive end, tallying 24 and 13 digs respectively. Einhorn, meanwhile, contributed to the Judges' winning efforts with 37 assists and 17 digs.

Meanwhile, the positives from that game were quite apparent in the squad's final match of the weekend against Worcester State University. The Judges managed to secure 25-20 and 25-21 victories respectively in the first two sets. While WSU then claimed the third set by a 25-19 margin, Brandeis ensured that a fifth set would not be needed, notching a 25-15 win.

Hood led the squad once again with 15 kills and even tallied a career-high 23 digs in the game. Bernaiche tallied 28 digs while Einhorn as well as outside hitter Shemira Pennyman '15 recorded 30 and 12 assists respectively.

Hood and Einhorn secured all-tournament honors for their performance on the court.

Einhorn also stated, though, that she was incredibly proud of her squad's efforts, citing its cohesion and persistence over the course of the weekend.

"We were able to stay positive and supportive of each other throughout the entire weekend whether we were ahead or behind which is something our team has had trouble with in past seasons," she said.

That support and camaraderie helped the Judges to notch a 3-0 sweep of WSU in their first official match of the 2013 season on Friday.

Brandeis limited WSU to 15 points apiece in the first two sets before securing a 25-22 victory in the third set to seal the match.

Hood headed the charge with 13 kills while Bernaiche recorded 13 digs. Einhorn, meanwhile, turned in her first double of the season, tallying 32 assists and 10 digs. Rookie right side hitter Jessica Kaufman '17 recorded a notable seven kills in her collegiate debut.

The Judges will try to build on this momentum in their first series of home matches as a part of the annual Brandeis Invitational. The squad will square off against opponents Wesleyan University, Wellesley College, Tufts University and the Coast Guard Academy.

While the women certainly look to improve over the course of the season, Einhorn expects the Judges to succeed if they can maintain and exhibit the intensityl and dedication from this weekend.

"I cannot ask for much more from my teammates because I would be extremely proud of my team if we show the same intensity next weekend in the Brandeis Invitational and every other game that follows after that," she said.