Blue Volleyball Falls To Host Judges, Franklin To Open Brandeis Invitational

WALTHAM, Mass. -- The Wellesley College volleyball team dropped a pair of matches on the first day of the 2017 Brandeis University Invitational at Auerbach Arena. The Blue fell by a 3-1 (25-17, 25-15, 26-28, 25-19) final to the host Judges in their Friday evening opener and were swept 3-0 (25-22, 25-16, 25-16) by Franklin College (Ind.) in the nightcap.

Brandeis 3, Wellesley 1 (25-17, 25-15, 26-28, 25-19)

Brandeis first year Clare Meyers (Richfield, Wisc.) led all players with 12 kills in her collegiate debut and junior Shea Decker-Jacoby (Los Angeles, Calif.) added ten kills of her own to lead the Judges to the 3-1 win. Junior Marlee Nork (Chicago, Ill.) and first year Marissa Borgert (Blaine, Minn.) split the setting duties, finishing with 22 and 23 assists, respectively. Junior Yvette Cho (San Diego, Calif.) had a game-high 24 digs for the hosts.

First year Darina Postupaka (Tinley Park, Ill.) put down 11 kills in her first collegiate match to lead the Blue. Junior Samantha Ostenso (Hopkins, Minn.) added nine kills on 34 attempts, as the Blue hit just .067 in the match. Junior Michelle Li (Scarsdale, N.Y.) picked up 31 assists and chipped in with five kills, while first year Becca Aristotelidis (San Antonio, Texas) had a team-high 18 digs, finishing as one of four players in double-figures on defense.

Brandeis opened with back-to-back set victories of 25-17 and 25-15, but the Blue outlasted the Judges to take the third set, breaking a 22-22 tie to win 28-26. Wellesley could not carry momentum into the fourth set, falling behind 19-11, before falling by a 25-19 final.

Franklin 3, Wellesley 0 (25-22, 25-16, 25-16)

Sophomore Kennedy Surface (Bloomington, Ind.) had nine kills and junior Libby Stahl (Indianapolis, Ind.) had a match-high 18 assists to lead Franklin to a 3-0 sweep of the Blue in Wellesley's second match of the evening. The Grizzlies also received eight kills from first year Abigail Sewell (Franklin, Ind.). Sophomore Nico Morris (Fort Wayne, Ind.) orchestrated a Franklin attack that hit .250 with a match-high 32 assists.

Wellesley first year Lauren Gedney (Huntersville, N.C.) had five kills and Ostenso had three, but the Blue struggled to find a rhythm on offense in match number two at the Brandeis Invitational. Li picked up 19 more assists, while junior Samantha Hoang (Elk Grove, Calif.) and senior Alina Mota (Glendora, Calif.) had 11 and 10 digs, respectively.

Franklin opened with a 25-16 win and continued to cruise to the win, winning set two, 25-22, and set three, 25-16. Franklin improved on offense in each set, capping a 3-0 sweep by hitting .462 in the third and final game. 

Wellesley will wrap-up play at Brandeis on Saturday, September 2, with a 1:00 PM match versus Mount Saint Mary.