PITTSBURGH – Rochester won three straight against Brandeis for its first UAA volleyball win in the round robin and nearly upended 9th-ranked Washington in the second match before the Bears pulled out a 3-2 decision.
 
The matches vs. Brandeis were tight with Rochester winning, 25-23, 25-23, 25-21. UR carried that momentum into the match vs. Washington, winning 25-18 and 25-20 in the first two sets. WU rallied for three straight, getting a 27-25 win in set three to pull within 2-1. The Bears turned up the defense. Rochester hit less than .100 in the fourth set (25-14, WU) and set five ended 15-6.
 
The split decision gives Rochester a 19-7 record overall, 1-4 in the UAA with matches vs. Chicago and Case Western Reserve remaining on Sunday. Washington improved to 17-4, 4-1 in the UAA.
 
Clara Martinez returned to a regular rotation on Saturday. Against Brandeis, she had six kills and six blocks (one solo, five assists). Allie DeRubertis had 11 kills, four digs, and one block assist. Alara Kocak had 14 kills and 16 digs. Courtney Vidovich had five digs and two assists. Sara Apanavicius had 17 digs, while Beth Ghyzel had four kills, three block assists, and 33 assists.
 
Kocak led Rochester in kills vs. Washington (18). She added eight digs and three aces. DeRubertis had 11 kills and 15 digs. Martinez chipped in nine kills and two block assists, Apanavicius dug 20 attacks and added three aces. Tamera Shaw had four kills and five blocks (two solo, three assists). Ghyzel recorded 39 assists, three aces, eight digs, and three blocks (one solo, two assists).
 
After the round robin ends on Sunday, Rochester will stage senior day in the Palestra on Wednesday against Nazareth College. The match tips off at 6 p.m.