Box Score

HOBOKEN, N.J. – The Ithaca College volleyball team (7-7, 1-2 Empire 8) dropped a five-set decision to Houghton (11-6, 3-1 Empire 8), 3-2 (15-25, 25-17, 19-25, 25-20, 15-8), on Friday night at Stevens Institute of Technology.

Senior Marissa Weil led the Bombers with 23 kills, junior Justine Duryea added 11 and freshman Christine Flannery added 10. Freshman Carly Garone put up 42 assists and Duryea served a trio of aces.

Defensively, freshman Dylan Gawinski Stern had 22 digs and junior Syline Kim posted four blocks (one solo, three assists).

The Bombers ran away with the first set, exploding for an early 15-5, double-digit gap. The Highlanders crept within 16-10, but Ithaca went on to claim a 25-15 victory.

The second was controlled by Houghton. It snapped a 4-4 tie to lead 13-7 and kept a step ahead for a 25-17 second-set win.

Ithaca bounced back in the third. The set was knotted on four occasions before the Bombers went on a 6-0 run. The Highlanders pulled within 23-19, but Duryea recorded a kill and Houghton an attack error to polish off the third.

Houghton reversed an early 3-0 Ithaca lead in the fourth to take a 10-5 advantage. The Highlanders maintained their cushion for a 25-20 win that deadlocked the series at 2-2.

The final frame opened in Houghton's favor, 4-1. The Bombers made it a one-point game at 5-4, but the Highlanders posted an 8-1 streak en route to a 15-8 final-frame victory.

The Bombers will face Alfred at 10 a.m. Saturday and Elmira at 12:30.