ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Case Western Reserve University volleyball team split a pair of matches on day one of the second 2011 University Athletic Association Round Robin on Saturday at The Palestra. Case opened the day with a 3-0 victory versus Brandeis University (Mass.), then fell to No. 2 nationally-ranked Washington University-St. Louis (Mo.), 3-1.

The Spartans (16-8 overall, 2-3 UAA) wrap up play in Rochester tomorrow versus Carnegie Mellon University (Pa.) at 12:00 p.m. and New York University (N.Y.) at 2:00 p.m.

Case defeated Brandeis (7-13, 0-5 UAA) by scores of 25-16, 25-20 and 25-14. Senior middle hitter Tricia McCutchan (Hamilton, Ohio/Stephen T. Badin) led the attack with 15 kills and just two errors for a .433 hitting percentage, while senior outside hitter Rachael Suchy (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township) checked in with 12 kills and just one error for a .500 hitting percentage. Junior setter Breana Freeman (Geneva, Ohio/Geneva) paced the effort with 36 assists.

Defensively, junior libero Rachel Gulasey (Cleveland, Ohio/Magnificat) and junior specialist Olivia Stanton-Ameisen (Bryn Mawr, Pa./The Baldwin School) each recorded 12 digs, while junior specialist Alexandria Drake (Phoenix, Ariz./Shadow Mountain) totaled 11 against the Judges.

Versus the nationally-ranked Bears (23-0, 5-0 UAA), the Spartans lost the first two sets by scores of 25-14 and 25-19 before rebounding to win the third set by a 25-22 score. Wash. U. answered and took the fourth set and the match, 25-20. The set victory against the Bears was just the second set that Washington University-St. Louis had dropped in its 25 matches.  

McCutchan recorded 20 kills and Suchy had 11, while freshman middle hitter Natalie Southard (Buffalo, N.Y./City Honors School) posted nine kills. Freeman led the way with 44 assists, while Gulasey paced the defense with 20 digs and Freeman completed the double-double with 10.

Following tomorrow's matches with Carnegie Mellon and NYU, the Spartans have a week off from action until they travel to Gambier, Ohio, for a tri-match next Saturday, October 22, versus Allegheny College (Pa.) at 1:00 p.m. and host Kenyon College at 3:00 p.m.