Box Score The Case Western Reserve University volleyball team beat Brandeis University 3-0 (25-14, 25-12 and 25-16) in the final match of the 2021 University Athletic Association Round Robin #1 hosted by the University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois.
The Spartans (5-7, 1-2 UAA) conclude a tough, opening weekend of conference action. The Judges dropped to 4-7, and 0-3 in the UAA.
Offensively, sophomore middle blocker Jennifer Ngo led the Spartan attack with a team-high eight kills, while junior outside hitter Gianna Lambert added seven. Junior setter Sara Rogers recorded a game-high 25 assists.
On defense, sophomore libero Alyssa Blessinger totaled a team-high 17 digs, while Rogers added 10 and first-year defensive specialist Ansley Yamaato contributed nine digs.
The Spartans came out firing in the first set and jumped out to a 6-0 lead after a kill by first-year outside hitter Rea Marfatia. The Judges were able to cut the lead to 13-8, but CWRU went on a 12-6 run to close out the set and earn the 25-14 victory.
After the score was tied at 8-8 in the second set, the Spartans went on a 5-0 run after a kill by Ngo to give CWRU a 13-8 advantage. The Spartans continued their dominance as they scored 12 of the next 16 points to secure the 25-12 win. Case Western Reserve hit .409 as a team during the second set.
CWRU dominated early in the third set as they jumped out to an 8-0 lead. After a 12-6 run by the Judges cut the lead to 14-12, the Spartans closed out the match with an 11-4 run to claim the 25-16 set win.
All eight UAA teams played a total of three matches this weekend. The squad will convene again in two weeks for two more matches at the UAA Round Robin #2 in Waltham, Massachusetts on October 3rd. Case Western Reserve is scheduled to face the University of Rochester (N.Y.) at 10:00 a.m. and Chicago at 12:00 p.m.
The Spartans will return to non-conference action next week, as they travel to University Heights, Ohio for a match at John Carroll University on Tuesday, September 28th. Game time is slated for a 7:00 p.m. start.
