Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College volleyball team split the first day of the Ithaca Invitational on Friday evening, picking up a four-set win over Wells before falling to Carnegie Mellon in three sets. Ithaca's 10-game win streak was snapped in the loss to the Tartans, a streak that started with a 3-0 win over St. Joseph's on Sept. 13. The Bombers are now 16-4 on the season.
 
Match 1: Ithaca – 3, Wells – 1 (25-21, 20-25, 25-20, 25-21)
The Bombers made quick work of Wells in the opening match of the tournament, dropping the Express in four sets. Senior Rylie Bean led all players with 17 kills, while freshmen Caroline Gerulskis and Joelle Goldstein chipped in with 12 and seven, respectively. Freshman Kayla Gromen dished out 39 assists in the victory, the most of any player in the match.
 
Sophomore Maggie Mutschler paced the Bombers with 17 digs. Gromen and bean each contributed double-digit digs, recording 11 and 10, respectively.
 
Wells started the first set on a 5-1 run, eventually taking a 7-3 lead on the Bombers. Ithaca answered with four-straight points to tie the contest, before taking its first lead at 9-8. The Bombers pushed their lead to 21-14, before Wells pulled off five-straight points to put the score at 21-19. Despite the rally, the Bombers pushed ahead and ended the set with a Bean kill to go up, 1-0.
 
Wells would take the second set, 25-20, evening the contest at 1-1. After trailing early once again in the third set, the Bombers jumped out to a 12-10 lead thanks to a six point run. The Express took their final lead at 14-12, before Ithaca pulled ahead for good on a kill from Bean to make it 15-14. The Bombers rolled from that point in, eventually taking the set.
 
Wells came out strong in the fourth set, taking a late 19-15 lead on the Bombers thanks to a six-point run. Ithaca responded with a 10-2 run to close the match, with Katie Hartman earning the last two kills to secure the final set.
 
Match 2: Ithaca – 0, Carnegie Mellon – 3 (15-25, 22-25, 22-25)
The Bombers dropped their second match of the day, falling to the Tartans of Carnegie Mellon in three sets to end their 10-game win streak.
 
Bean once again had a solid outing, tying for the team lead in kills (10) with Goldstein. Gromen paced the team with 27 assists, and also ranked first on the roster with 12 digs. Mutschler ranked second with eight digs.   
 
The Bombers jumped out on Carnegie Mellon early, taking a quick 7-0 lead on the Tartans in the opening set. However, Carnegie Mellon stormed back, taking a 9-8 lead on a 9-1 run. The Tartans continued to roll, eventually taking the opening set by a score of 25-15.
 
Both teams battled evenly in the second set. Trailing by a score of 18-22, Ithaca reeled off four-straight points to even the set at 22-22. Despite Ithaca's momentum, the Tartans scored three-straight points to take the second set.
 
Carnegie Mellon carried its momentum into the third set, eventually defeating the Bombers 25-22 for the straight-set victory.
 
The Bombers are back in action on Saturday, Oct. 11 in the second day of the Ithaca Invitational. The Bombers' first match is an 11 a.m. conference game against Utica.