Geneseo, N.Y.—After dropping the first set of the evening, Ithaca won three straight sets to defeat host Geneseo Tuesday night. The Bombers (8-6) dropped the Knights (4-12) 17-25, 25-20, 25-16, 25-22. Ithaca will take a two match win streak into the weekend's Empire 8 Crossover tournament.

The Bombers' spread their attack, with three players picking up at least eight kills. Juniors Jen Heberton (Darien/Darien, Conn.) and Rachel Busch (Hoover/North Canton, Ohio) led the team with ten apiece. Sophomore Tina Orlandini (Flintridge Sacred Heart/Altadena, Calif.) paced the defense with 28 digs.

Ithaca overcame a late Geneseo rally to win the match in four. Up 17-15 in the final set, the Bombers allowed three straight Knight points to lose the lead. Ithaca remained behind as late as 21-20, before getting successive kills from junior Francine Nikas (Greenwich/Greenwich, Conn.) and freshman Jessica Hoeffner (Hauppauge/Hauppauge) to retake the lead. Nikas then teamed up with senior Brianna D'Errico (Byron-Bergen/Byron) on a stifling block that put the match in hand for the Bombers.

After dropping the first set, Ithaca played Geneseo to a tie as late as 17-17 in the second. After an attack error gave the Bombers the lead, they picked up six straight points with Taylor Horton (Lakeridge/Lake Oswego, Ore.) serving. Horton picked up one of the team's seven service aces in the rally. The Bombers have 136 aces this season, and entered today ranked 50th in the nation wtth 2.6 aces per set.

After Geneseo scored two of the first three points, Ithaca took control of the third set. A 14-7 run put the Bombers up 15-9, and they would never lead by fewer than five points for the remainder of the set.

Ithaca opens its conference schedule with the first of two Empire 8 Crossover Tournaments Saturday and Sunday at Stevens Institute of Technology. The Bombers first match is Saturday at noon against Elmira.

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