ITHACA, N.Y.­­—The Ithaca volleyball team opened the Bomber Invitational with a sweep of Oneonta, 25-8, 25-23, and 26-24.  The Bombers (4-1) extended their winning streak to four matches

The Bombers were paced offensively by junior Jen Heberton (Darien/Darien, Conn.) who recorded 10 kills.  Sophomore Taylor Horton (Lakeridge/Lake Oswego, OR) was the defensive star, compiling 22 digs over the three games.

Ithaca started hot, taking an 8-0 lead in the first set behind the serving of Corinna Doctor (Skaneateles/Skaneateles).  The Bombers continued to apply the pressure, rolling off seven straight points in the middle of the set to increase their lead to 18-4 and take total control of the set.

The momentum for Ithaca carried into set two, jumping out to a quick 5-1 lead.  A strong Oneonta run kept the game tight, the Red Dragons battled back from a 19-12 deficit to close the score to 24-23.  A block on set point by Kate Thoene (Voorhees/Glen Gardner, N.J.) sealed the game for Ithaca.

The third set was the most competitive of the match. Ithaca fell behind early, 10-5, only to rebound and tie the game at 15-15 on an Oneonta error.  The score would continue to see-saw, with Ithaca opening its largest lead at 22-17 on a Jessica Hoeffner (Hauppauge/Hauppauge) kill.  Two straight blocks by the visitors got the game within 2, but the cushion proved to be enough, as Ithaca completed the sweep with a 26-24 victory.

The Bombers return to action tonight at 8:30 p.m. to face Hamilton in the Ben Light Gymnasium.

Box Score