Spring Break
VOLLEYBALL: Squad finishes fourth, returns to ECAC tourney
by Melissa Siegel
Staff writer
Sports | 11/6/07
Posted online at 9:42 PM EST on 11/5/07
/ Last updated at 12:05 PM EST on 11/5/07
A revenge win over New York University Friday propelled the volleyball team to the semifinals at the University Athletic Association championships for the first time since 1990, but a fourth-place finish meant the Judges fell just short of qualifying for the NCAA Tournament.
The Judges' 3-0 victory over NYU Friday, their first win over the Violets since 2000, along with a 3-0 victory over the University of Chicago, pushed them into the semifinals, where they fell to Emory University 3-0. After losing to Carnegie Mellon University 3-1 in the third-place match Saturday, the Judges finished 25-10 on the season, their second highest win total in school history.
Despite the historic result, players said they were disappointed about not finishing higher.
"I thought [this weekend] was pretty successful, [but] we didn't play as well as we could have," setter Abby Blasco '11 said. "I was pretty disappointed about the [Carnegie Mellon] loss, but they came out fighting harder than us."
Emory eventually won the tournament, defeating Washington University in St. Louis in the championship game.
"We are all disappointed in losing [to Carnegie Mellon], but we did make an improvement from last year," coach Michelle Kim said. "It's good to know that our players want more, because it's only going to make us better."
The Judges' shutout of NYU was not only their first win over the Violets in seven years, but it also avenged their crushing loss to them Sept. 30, when Brandeis, with a 2-0 lead, led 21-12 in the third game only to drop the match 3-2.
"I think we just went into the game really wanting to beat them," Blasco said. "We wanted to win and we knew we had to make up for our previous loss,"
This time, Brandeis didn't let NYU rally. Though the Judges trailed 3-0 and 4-1 early in the first game, they quickly came back, and, led by Blasco's serving, took six straight points to win the game 30-22.
The Judges' 3-0 victory over NYU Friday, their first win over the Violets since 2000, along with a 3-0 victory over the University of Chicago, pushed them into the semifinals, where they fell to Emory University 3-0. After losing to Carnegie Mellon University 3-1 in the third-place match Saturday, the Judges finished 25-10 on the season, their second highest win total in school history.
Despite the historic result, players said they were disappointed about not finishing higher.
"I thought [this weekend] was pretty successful, [but] we didn't play as well as we could have," setter Abby Blasco '11 said. "I was pretty disappointed about the [Carnegie Mellon] loss, but they came out fighting harder than us."
Emory eventually won the tournament, defeating Washington University in St. Louis in the championship game.
"We are all disappointed in losing [to Carnegie Mellon], but we did make an improvement from last year," coach Michelle Kim said. "It's good to know that our players want more, because it's only going to make us better."
The Judges' shutout of NYU was not only their first win over the Violets in seven years, but it also avenged their crushing loss to them Sept. 30, when Brandeis, with a 2-0 lead, led 21-12 in the third game only to drop the match 3-2.
"I think we just went into the game really wanting to beat them," Blasco said. "We wanted to win and we knew we had to make up for our previous loss,"
This time, Brandeis didn't let NYU rally. Though the Judges trailed 3-0 and 4-1 early in the first game, they quickly came back, and, led by Blasco's serving, took six straight points to win the game 30-22.
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