From University of Rochester Athletics
The University of Rochester volleyball team kicked off UAA Round Robin #2 with a 3-0 victory over Brandeis University before falling to 3rd ranked Emory University 3-0 on Saturday at Case Western Reserve University.
The Yellowjackets (12-11, 2-3 UAA) were victors by a 25-20, 25-13, 25-23 score over the Judges. In the nightcap, the Eagles won 25-15, 25-15, 26-24.
In the first set of the Brandeis match, the two teams went point-for-point until the 9-9 mark. After Brandeis jumped ahead 10-9, rattled off six straight points to surge in front 15-10. In the run, junior Alexandra Goldman smashed three kills for the Yellowjackets.
Brandeis would then pull even three more times in the set, with the last coming at 20-20 before Rochester finished with the last five point to grab the first set.
In game two, Rochester rolled out the gate, jumping ahead 5-1 and 10-2 to grab momentum early. The 'Jackets would take the second 25-13.
The third set was a back-and-forth affair with the teams trading small two and three point runs. Late in the set, Rochester was up 20-19 and won three straight points off Judges errors sitting just two points from taking the match. Brandeis would then score four straight to pull even at 23 before Shira Katz and Nina Baek would earn the final two kills and seal the win for UR.
Overall, Katz led Rochester with 11 kills, 2 aces and 3 digs. Baek had eight kills and four digs while Jennie Ford added 6 kills, 9 digs and 3 aces. Meghan Connor had 21 digs while Aimee Kohler dished out 28 assists.
In the nightcap, Emory showed why its one of the best teams in the country, finishing off the first set with a big run, winning 10 of the last 12 points to grab the 25-15 win. The second set saw the Yellowjackets hang with the Eagles up until 10-9, but then Emory 11 of 12 points to go ahead 21-10, eventually taking that set as well by a 25-15 score.
In the third, Rochester was able to jump in front early by scores of 7-3 and 8-4. Emory would eventually pull even and then go ahead 13-10 with a five point burst backed by three kills and two UR errors. Trailing 22-20, Rochester would then score four of the next five to get to a set point, but the Eagles showed poise and finished off the next three points to earn the three set win, taking the third set by a 26-24 score.
Against Emory, freshman Kayla Sell led Rochester with nine kills. Katz had seven while Emma Gira chipped in four. Kohler added 25 assists and seven digs while Connor had 14 digs.