Ephs Fall to Brandeis and Sweep Oneonta

Saratoga Spring, NY - Williams College (1-2) falls to Brandeis University (5-2) 3-0 and beats SUNY Oneonta (4-3) 3-0, completing this year's Skidmore College Invitational.

The first match of the doubleheader today was against Brandeis University. The set started off with a steady back and forth – the Ephs were digging very well and getting some kills, however the Judges managed to pull off an early 7-point run which brought them to a firm lead. In the face of this momentum, junior Annaliese Fricke achieved a powerful, open cross-court kill and directly followed it with a huge block, giving the Ephs a chance to change the tide of the set. However, Brandeis immediately responded with four kills and forced a Williams timeout at 17-9. The Ephs were unable to gain enough traction to come back and Brandeis took the first set 25-16.

The Ephs were playing with a lot more fluidity in the second set. Morgan Daetz and the back row gave great opportunities to the hitters, who began breaking through the Judges' defense and weakened their opponents hits by putting up better blocks. Although after some errors, Brandeis gained a lead 22-17. The Ephs were able to close up the considerable gap, getting 6 points with two aces from Lilly Fox and Morgan Daetz. This brought the set to 23-23 and forced Brandeis to call a very nervous timeout. Unfortunately in spite of the Eph's very strong game play towards the end of the set, two final errors gave Brandeis their second set 25-23.

Brandeis quickly pulled away with a lead of 12-5 just before Williams' first timeout. The Judges' lead kept moving, and though the Ephs were playing well on defense . Several Eph errors gave Brandeis a 10 point lead,The Ephs worked cohesively towards a five point run that began tracking a lot of momentum, worrying Brandeis enough to call a timeout despite their lead. The Ephs fought hard to keep the set close, however in the end the Judges slipped away and secured their third set 25-17.

Early on in the first set against Oneonta, it was clear that Williams was going to play with a more aggressive offense, as they were able to hit very successfully through and around the Red Dragons' blockers. Oneonta began to get worried and called their first timeout when Williams was up 9-5. Morgan Daetz delivered a masterful setter tip, and the Ephs' confidence and aggression kept increasing throughout the match. Oneonta was able to find the traction to equalize the set, and both teams began to exchange points. Williams then pulled off a 5-point lead due to Annaliese Fricke, who was hitting incredibly hard around the blockers, and Morgan Daetz who created great sets for middle hitter Chi Obi. The Ephs took the first set 25-20. 

Williams continued the match strong with an early 6-point run over Oneonta in the second set. The Red Dragons were unable to read Morgan Daetz's sets and incapable of defending against the hitters, and the Ephs took off with the lead and had an astonishing 5 aces in the second set to win 25-16. In the final set, the Ephs were fighting closely with the Red Dragons. Kate Lane and Maya Thompson ran a strategic combination play giving Lane a strong and clear hit right in the middle of the court. The Ephs proceeded to go on a 5-point run bringing the set 17-12. In the end, Williams maintained their lead and Sabina Lum delivered the final kill against two blockers to win the match and complete the set 25-19. 

Sophomore setter Morgan Daetz was named to the All-Tournament Team.

Eph head coach Christi Kelsey gave some reflections on the match, "I thought both matches today were good learning opportunities for everyone on our team. We certainly had some strong moments against Brandeis, but we're still working through our competitive consistency. I was really proud of the way the team responded in our match against Oneonta. After a long day, it was great to see everyone on our team stay locked in on getting better and improving with each opportunity to play. It is great to have the first win of the season and I'm looking forward to getting back in the gym with this team next week to prepare for what's next!"

Williams will be at home on Tuesday playing Skidmore College at 6:30 PM EST in Chandler Gym.