Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Oneonta, N.Y. – The Ithaca College volleyball team (6-5, 1-1 Empire 8) outlasted host Hartwick (3-10, 0-1 Empire 8), 3-2 (14-25, 25-21, 24-26, 25-18, 15-12), and dropped a 3-0 (25-17, 25-17, 25-20) decision to Stevens Institute of Technology (4-10, 2-0 Empire 8) in their Empire 8 opening matches on Saturday at Lambros Arena.

In the Bombers' second five-setter of 2012, senior Marissa Weil led offensive efforts with 19 kills, while freshman Christine Flannery added seven and sophomore Brittany Noel Pietrzykowski chipped in six. Freshman Carly Garone set for 37 assists and dug out a career-best 18 times. Junior Justine Duryea and Weil had 17 and 15 digs, respectively. Flannery and Garone posted a trio of aces each, career-high performances for both.

After dropping the first set, 25-14, the Bombers knotted action 1-1 with a 25-21 victory in the second. Ithaca held a 10-6 gap, but the Hawks answered gaining a 15-14 edge. Ithaca responded with three consecutive to take the lead indefinitely.

The Bombers surrendered a 24-21 advantage in the third, dropping the game, 26-24, before posting a 25-18 fourth-set victory. Tied on four occasions early, the Blue & Gold used an 11-2 run to secure a 2-2 tie.

Ithaca rewrote a 7-3 deficit in the final frame to deadlock action at 9-9 and recorded six of the matches' final nine points for the win.

Against the Ducks, Weil again led the Bombers with nine kills, Duryea added six on Garone's 18 assists. Freshman Dylan Gawinski Stern had nine digs.

Stevens ran away with a 14-14 stalemate in the first to claim the set, 25-17. Similarly in the second, the Ducks snapped an 11-11 tie to take a 2-0 lead with a 25-17 victory. Stevens took an early 16-9 advantage in the final stint before the Bombers pulled within 22-19. The Ducks sealed the match with a 25-20 third-set score.

The Bombers will travel to Keuka for a 7 p.m. match on Thursday, Sept. 27.