Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College volleyball team (10-9) blanked Sage (16-7), 3-0 (25-22, 25-14, 25-18), and took a 3-1 (26-24, 25-23, 20-25, 25-17) match from St. Lawrence (6-17) on day one of the 2012 Ithaca Invitational at Ben Light Gymnasium.

Against the Gators, senior Marissa Weil posted a team-leading 13 blocks. Freshman Christine Flannery added eight and junior Justine Duryea seven with a .400 hitting percentage.

Freshman Carly Garone set for 27 assists and posted a trio of blocks. Weil also had three blocks. Freshman Dylan Gawinski Stern dug out 13 times and Duryea 11.

The Bombers opened the first 4-0 but the match went on to be knotted on four occasions before the Gators ran away with a 14-9 lead. Ithaca responded to deadlock action at 14-14, but Sage surged again for a 19-15 advantage. Ithaca recorded seven unanswered en route to a 25-22 first-set victory.

The second featured a 16-3 Bomber run to open action, largely on the serves of Duryea and Garone serve. The Gators answered with a 7-1 streak of their own, though Ithaca went on to claim a 25-14 second-set victory for a 2-0 series lead.

Sage controlled the third set early, 5-0, but Ithaca fought to knot action 11-11 before powering to a 22-13 gap. The Bombers took the third 25-18 for their sixth straight-set win of 2012.

Against the Saints, Weil posted a match-leading 13 kills and Flannery chipped in 11. Garone dished out 35 assists. Weil had a trio of aces on the serve.

Defensively, Flannery had a career-high 15 digs and Garone and junior Syline Kim had three blocks apiece.

The first set featured 18 ties. After a 19-19 stalemate, the Bombers pulled away with a 23-19 advantage, though the Saints answered to deadlock action at 24. Weil recorded a kill and Garone an ace to put the first away, 26-24.

Ithaca snapped a 7-7 tie in the second with a 5-0 run and we able to stay a step ahead of St. Lawrence for a 25-23 second-set victory. The Bombers looked to put the game away with a 24-17 lead, but the Saints pulled within one, 24-23, before a Duryea kill made it a 2-0 Ithaca series.

After a back-and-forth start to the third, St. Lawrence improved upon a 15-14 edge to lead 20-15. Ithaca brought action to 21-19, but the Saints tallied four of the final five to force a fourth.

The Saints carried their momentum into the fourth to force a Bomber timeout with an early 5-1 advantage. Ithaca went on to take an 11-8 lead and powered to an 18-12 advantage. The Bombers posted a 25-17 victory to improve to 5-1 in Ben Light Gymnasium during 2012.

The Bombers face Potsdam and Fredonia at 10 a.m. and 12:15 p.m., respectively, Saturday.