The Case Western Reserve University volleyball team split a pair of matches at University Athletic Association Round Robin #2 on Sunday at Wiegand Gymnasium on the campus of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, defeating Brandeis University 3-0 but falling to #10 New York University 3-0.

The Spartans ended the day with an overall record of 13-4 and a conference record of 2-3. The Judges fell to 9-7 and 0-5 in the UAA at the end of the day, while the Violets improved to 12-3 and a conference-leading 4-1 in UAA matches.

CWRU 3, Brandeis 0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-19)

Senior outside/right side hitter Gianna Lambert recorded a season-high 12 kills as the Spartans swept Brandeis to open the day. Senior setter Sara Rogers led the team with 18 assists and added 10 digs, while junior libero Alyssa Blessinger had a team-high 12 digs. Three CWRU attackers—sophomore outside hitter Rea Marfatia, first-year middle blocker Amanda Ngo, and sophomore right side hitter Carly Scott—added six kills each, and first-year outside hitter Kalli Wall contributed eight kills.

Trailing 11-10 in the middle of the first set, the Spartans won the next four points to take a three-point lead and force a Brandeis timeout. The teams alternated points until the Judges cut their deficit to just one at 18-17. After a kill by Wall and a CWRU service error, the Spartans rallied to win six of the final eight points to claim the set.

Case Western Reserve opened the second set on a 7-3 run, but Brandeis quickly took an 11-10 lead. Lambert switched the lead in favor of the Spartans with two kills, though the Judges tied the score at 12 on the next point. Two kills by junior middle blocker Jennifer Ngo and Amanda Ngo and a Brandeis error gave CWRU a three-point advantage. Eventually, the Judges cut their deficit to two, 18-16. However, Lambert closed a set-ending 7-1 Case Western Reserve run with a kill to give the Spartans a 2-0 lead in the match.

After opening the third set with an 8-2 run, the Spartans lost the next four points. However, they won the following three points to claim an 11-6 advantage. Later in the set, the Judges cut the Spartan lead to two, 18-16, with a 5-1 run, trying to stay alive in the match. An Amanda Ngo kill and a service ace by sophomore setter Ansley Yamaato sparked a 5-1 CWRU run that put the Spartans two points away from clinching the match. Wall slammed down two kills over the next four points to give Case Western Reserve their second UAA win of the season.

#10 NYU 3, CWRU 0 (20-25, 15-25, 19-25)

After starting the first set down 6-2, the Spartans rallied to within one with a 7-4 run. After the teams traded points, the Violets opened a seven-point lead late in set at 20-13. A 7-3 CWRU run brought the Spartans within three at 23-20, but NYU won the final two points to claim the first set.

Down three early in the second set, Case Western Reserve went on a five-point run to claim a 12-10 lead. NYU responded with a set-ending 15-3 run to lead 2-0 in the match.

In the third set, the Spartans tied the score at 10 with a service ace from junior defensive specialist Lindsay Schamp. The Violets regained the lead with a 6-1 run, leading to a CWRU timeout. Following the break, the Spartans won five of the next six points to cut their deficit to just one at 17-16. After the teams traded the next four points, NYU closed the set on a 6-1 run to claim the third set and the match.

Wall and Scott led the team with seven kills each, and Yamaato and Rogers added 10 assists each. Blessinger paced the squad with nine digs in the match.

The Spartans will look to rebound when they resume non-conference play with a midweek match against Oberlin on Wednesday at 7 p.m. before hosting John Carroll on Friday at 6 p.m.