WELLESLEY, Mass. – The Ithaca College volleyball program improved its record to 22-3 on the season with sweeps of Southern Maine and Babson on Saturday afternoon at the Wellesley Invitational. Ithaca has won 13 matches this season in straight sets.

The Bombers hit a combined .309 on the day with a .337 percentage against Southern Maine and .281 against Babson.

MATCH ONE:  Ithaca 3, Southern Maine 0 (25-9, 25-17, 25-15)

Ithaca held Southern Maine to a .057 hitting percentage in the match and only trailed on three occasions early in the third set.

Five different Bombers hit over .438 in the match, highlighted by a .800 clip from sophomore Kayla Gromen, who put down four kills in five attempts. Gromen also dished out 29 assists with four aces, four digs and a block assist.

Freshmen Amanda Cerruti and Katie Evans led Ithaca with eight kills apiece. Cerruti swung at a .538 rate with six total blocks and three digs, while Evans hit .438.

Sophomore Joelle Goldstein notched seven kills in 14 swings with 11 digs and an ace. Junior Breanne Tuohy tallied three kills on five tries in one set played to go along with an ace.

Freshman Hailey Adler chipped in nine digs, four kills, three block assists and two aces. Senior Dylan Gawinski-Stern scored on two aces and added eight digs. Sophomore Caroline Gerulskis added two kills in the opener.

Sophomores Marlee Wierda and Izabella Mocarski each tallied three digs. Wierda also added an ace, as Ithaca registered 11 aces in the match.

MATCH TWO: Ithaca 3, Babson 0 (25-14, 25-21, 25-21)

Ithaca opened the match with a .286 hitting percentage, compared to .056 for Babson. Both teams struggled in the second set, as Ithaca only hit .077, but Babson swung at .040. In the final set, the Bombers put down 17 kills with just four errors for a .464 rate, and the Beavers hit .345.

Goldstein was the lone Bomber to reach double-digit kills with 14 and swung at a .444 clip to go along with six digs, three aces and two blocks. Cerruti compiled eight more kills against Babson on 12 swings with four blocks.

Evans contributed seven kills with two aces and two blocks, while Gerulskis and Adler both added four kills. Adler notched eight digs and two aces, and Gerulskis chipped in two block assists.

Gawinski-Stern paced the Bombers defensively with 14 digs and two assists.

The Bombers are back in action on Oct. 20 at Oneonta at 6 p.m. Ithaca will then return home on the 24th for an Empire 8 tri-match against Hartwick and St. John Fisher at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. The match against Fisher also marks Senior Day.

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