Anna Ertischek, Alexa Ho lead Judges Past Simmons, 3-1, on Senior Night

Anna Ertischek, Alexa Ho lead Judges Past Simmons, 3-1, on Senior Night

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Adam Levin '94

Brandeis University senior Anna Ertischek had 20 kills and sophomore setter Alexa Ho reached 1000 career assists with a personal-best 51 helpers as the Judges' volleyball team defeated visiting Simmons University, 3-1, in Red Auerbach Arena tonight. Set scores were 25-21, 24-26, 27-25, 25-14.

TEAM RECORDS
  • Brandeis, 9-13.
  • Simmons, 5-16.
HOW IT HAPPENED
  • The Judges held off the Sharks in the first set, going on a 7-2 run to break a 9-all tie.
  • Brandeis was ahead, 24-17, but Simmons fought off four set points, foreshadowing the next two sets, before an Ertischek kill finished things off, 25-21. Brandeis outhit Simmons, .407 to .107, in the opening set.
  • The Judges looked to take control of the second set in a similar fashion, going on a 5-1 run after the action was tied at 10-all.
  • Brandeis was ahead, 24-20, but the serve of the Sharks' Carolina Rodriguez proved difficult to solve, as she delivered two service aces and the Judges committed two errors as the visitors scored the last six points to take a 26-24 win.
  • Hitting percentages were much closer in the second, .175 to .116 in favor of the Judges.
  • The Sharks started the third set strong, as an early 5-2 lead was eventually extended to 18-10 after Brandeis made three straight attack errors.
  • The hosts answered with three straight points to close within five at 18-13 on an Ertischek kill.
  • Ho added a tip-kill to close the Judges within one at 22-21. Simmons's Kate Petrosso slowed the Brandeis momentum with a kill, but Ertischek and sophomore Madison Haft-Abromovitch (Stratford, Conn./Rye Country Day School) answered to tie things up at 23.
  • Simmons had the first two chances to serve for the set, but the Sharks couldn't convert and Brandeis won the final three points of the set, with first-year Colette Ejang (Los Angeles, Calif./Taft Charter School) earning a block and a kill in the decisive string to take it, 27-25.
  • In the final set, Brandeis fell behind, 6-3, but Ho served 12 straight points to give her team a 15-6 lead that was never really tested. The Judges outhit Simmons, .429 to -.074, in the final set to take it going away, 25-14.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
  • Ho led the Brandeis attack to 60 kills with a career-high 51 assists. That included the 1,000th of her career late in the second set.
  • She is the second Judge to reach the 1,000-assist plateau this season and the 11th in school history to achieve the feat.
  • Ho also had a team-high three service aces.
  • Ertischek was the main beneficiary of Ho's setting, finishing with a match-high 20 kills. It marked the sixth time this season she has had at least 20 kills.
  • Haft-Abromovitch tied her career-high with 15 kills, matching the total from her season-opening match.
  • Ejang also notched a career-best with 12 kills, her fourth time in double digits in the last six matches. She had just two errors in 21 attempts for a career-high .476 hitting percentage.
  • Defensively, sophomore Isabella Irizarry (Guaynabo, P.R./Cupeyville School) had 14 digs, while first-year Claudia Aber (Los Angeles, Calif./Taft Charter School) had four blocks (one solo).
SENIOR DAY
  • Before the match, the Judges honored their three seniors playing in their final regular-season home match.
    • Outside hitter Anna Ertischek (Montgomery, Texas/Lake Creek)
    • Setter Julia Liang (Sugar Land, Texas/Clement)
    • Setter/right-side hitter Megan Margolis (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest)