Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The Ithaca College volleyball team returned to Empire 8 play on Saturday afternoon when it traveled to Rochester, N.Y., for the second conference crossover of the season at St. John Fisher College. The Bombers took a major step towards solidifying its spot in the conference's postseason tournament, sweeping both ends of the doubleheader.
 
Ithaca opened the day with a commanding straight-sets victory over the crossover host Cardinals in the first match of crossover. Facing a quick turnaround, IC clashed with Hartwick in the second part of the back-to-back. After splitting the first two sets, Ithaca pulled away in the third and fourth games to take the contest in four sets.
 
"We played with a lot of determination and confidence today," head coach Johan Dulfer said. "It did not matter whether we were dominating or in the instances where we struggled, we continued to play with a high level of purpose throughout the day."
 
Ithaca 3 – St. John Fisher 0 (25-18, 25-18, 25-21)
 
Looking to play a little sharper than its midweek victory over SUNY Cortland, the Bombers looked sharp from the outset despite the early start time for Saturday's opener against St. John Fisher. Sophomore, Amanda Cerruti, junior, Joelle Goldstein, and freshman, Taylor McCarthy, each tallied a kill in helping IC jump out to an early 7-4 lead.
 
The Bombers gained its first significant breathing room in the first set with a four-point run to extend its lead to 12-7. Sophomore, Ruby Dyson, put the bookend on the scoring run with a pair of kills, while Goldstein, and sophomore, Katie Evans, chipped in rally finishers of their own. Goldstein and McCarthy both chipped in two more kills apiece, as Ithaca maintained the edge to take the first set 25-18.
 
Not much separated the two sides through the early portion of the second set, but it was IC that again would string together the first significant run of the frame. With the second game tied at seven-all, the Bombers put together a 6-1 run to gain the edge. McCarthy and Goldstein each added a kill during the run.
 
Although the Cardinals whittled the Ithaca advantage down to 15-13, a second 6-1 run by the visitors gave IC a lead it would not relinquish. McCarthy was the primary offensive force during the second stretch, marking three more kills. The middles closed out the set down the stretch, as Evans marked a pair of kills and Dyson closed out the set with an excellent finish of her own.
 
Holding the commanding lead heading into the decisive third set, Ithaca used a 9-3 run to snatch away the lead. The Bombers got kills from six different players during surge. A subsequent 6-1 scoring run, capped by a thunderous kill from Goldstein, lifted IC to a 16-9 advantage in the set.
 
The Cardinals closed the deficit to as close as 23-21, but Ithaca's McCarthy and Dyson closed out the match with back-to-back kills to give the Bombers a 25-21 win in the third set.
 
"We had a really good week of practice and were so excited to see how we'd look this weekend," Dulfer exclaimed. "We worked on some technical and tactical adjustments to our offense and it was really great to see us in action today."
 
McCarthy posted one of the best attacking games of her debut season. The rookie finished with 12 kills on a scintillating .733 hitting percentage. At the opposite pin, Goldstein was the Bombers' other player to notch double-digit kills. The junior finished with 10 kills and seven digs.
 
Evans continued to play a big role in the attack through the middle. She notched six kills on a .364 hitting mark, while she chipped in two digs and a block assist. Dyson added four kills, a solo block, and two block assists. Junior, Caroline Gerulskis, also posted four kills.
 
Junior, Kayla Gromen, did a fine job of distribution, leading the Bombers with 17 assists. Freshman, Caitlyn Floyd, added 16 helpers and four digs. Sophomore, Tara Stilwell, also had a strong game with three service aces and a team-leading 12 digs.
 
Ithaca 3 – Hartwick 1 (25-16, 24-26, 25-18, 25-8)
 
The Bombers carried the momentum from their resounding win in the first match of the day with a strong start against a Hartwick squad that has struggled in conference play this season. Goldstein scored three kills, while Cerruti added two finishes, as Ithaca jumped out to an 11-5 advantage.
 
The Hawks closed the deficit to two points four separate times through the middle portion of the set, but a 7-0 run ensured IC would gain the early leg up in the match. Gerulskis scored a pair of kills during the streak. Evans closed out the frame with a kill up the middle to lift Ithaca to a 25-16 win in the first set.
 
IC struggled to get to its game in set number two, as Hartwick was able steal away the second frame with a 26-24 win. Although the Bombers out-killed the Hawks 16-to-11, it was not enough to prevent Hartwick from leveling the match at one set apiece.
 
IC bounced back from its struggles in second frame to mark commanding wins in the third and fourth sets to close out the match and the doubleheader sweep.
 
It was a 6-1 run midway through the third set that gave IC the initial advantage. Goldstein picked up two kills and a block assist during the streak. She marked two more kills throughout the remainder of the third set, as IC won the frame 25-18.
 
The Bombers controlled matters from the outset in the decisive fourth frame, as Ithaca won the first eight rallies. They later closed out the set with a 6-0 streak, capped by a Cerruti laser down the middle, to end the match with 25-8 victory in set number four.
 
"We are learning to not dwell on mistakes and to focus on the most important ball in volleyball; the next ball," Dulfer concluded. "We continue to get better every week, which is great to see heading into a key weekend in Boston next week."
 
Goldstein posted her finest match of the season to-date. She collected a season-high 19 kills and finished off her eighth double-double of the season with 10 digs. The junior finished with a .405 hitting percentage.
 
McCarthy and Cerruti were the Bombers' other two players to achieve double-digits in kills, chipping in 11 and 10, respectively. Cerruti added two block assists, while McCarthy posted three digs.
 
Evans finished just shy of double-digits, marking nine kills. She added a solo block and a block assist. Dyson posted six kills and a block assist, while Gerulskis made four kills.
 
Junior, Marlee Wierda, and freshman, Anna Shelley, each chipped in two kills, while Wierda, and senior, Myan Idziur, each marked two service aces.
 
Gromen and Floyd had an excellent match, finishing with 28 and 26 assists, respectively. Stilwell led the Bombers with 19 digs.
 
Looking Ahead
Ithaca will take a break from its Empire 8 slate next weekend when it heads to Wellesley, Mass., for a two-day invitational at Wellesley College. The Bombers open play on Friday, October 14, when they meet the hosts at 4:30 p.m. They conclude the event with matches against Endicott and Wesleyan on Saturday, October 15.