Brockport Regional Page | Full NCAA Bracket 
 
BROCKPORT, N.Y. – The Ithaca College volleyball team is set to begin its quest for a NCAA National Championship this coming weekend when it travels to Brockport, N.Y., for regional round action. The Bombers get play underway on Friday, November 11, when they battle against NESCAC Champion Middlebury at 5:30 p.m. at Brockport's
 
Match Info
Opening Round – Friday, November 11, 2016
Match 1: Susquehanna (31-7) vs. Clarkson (21-14) – 12:30 p.m.
Match 2: No. 5 Emory (30-5) vs. New Rochelle (21-9) – 3:00 p.m.
Match 3: Ithaca (26-5) vs. Middlebury (18-8) – 5:30 p.m.
Match 4: Brockport (32-3) vs. Gallaudet (21-15) – 8:00 p.m.
 
Round of 32 – Saturday, November 12, 2016
Match 5: Susquehanna/Clarkson vs. No. 5 Emory/New Rochelle – 2:30 p.m.
Match 6: Ithaca/Middlebury vs. Brockport/Gallaudet – 5:00 p.m.
 
Regional Final – Sunday, November 13, 2016
Winner of Match 5 vs. Winner of Match 6 – 2:00 p.m.
 
Match Coverage
Live Stats | Live Video | Twitter
*Live stats and video will be provided for all matches
 
Ticket Information
Please visit the following link for ticket information regarding this weekend's regional tournament: CLICK HERE.
 
Last Time Out
Ithaca took home its sixth Empire 8 title in its final season affiliated with the league in last weekend's conference tournament. IC began the weekend with a dominant three-set victory over Nazareth in the semifinals on Saturday, setting up a rematch against host Stevens in the final on Sunday. The Bombers avenged their regular-season loss to the Ducks with a commanding four-set win to take home the conference crown for the second consecutive season.
 
All-Conference Standouts
Ithaca placed five members on Empire 8 All-Conference teams when the league office announced the end of year awards. Joelle Goldstein took home First-Team honors, while Amanda Cerruti, Katie Evans, and Tara Stilwell were named Second-Team honorees. Rounding out the awards was Caitlyn Floyd, who was named an Honorable Mention selection by the league. Find the full story HERE: CLICK HERE.
 
AVCA All-Region Recognitions
The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced its All-Region teams on Thursday with two members of Ithaca College named in the release. Goldstein was named to the All-New York squad, while Cerruti was an Honorable Mention selection in the region. Goldstein will be eligible for national All-American recognition, with the AVCA set to announce their finalists later this month. Find the full story HERE: CLICK HERE.
 
Taking Home the Hardware
Goldstein has taken home nearly every honor imaginable over the last few weeks. In addition to being named an All-Conference First Teamer and an AVCA All-New York Region selection, she also was named the Empire 8 Player of the Year. The junior outside hitter also took home Tournament Most Valuable Player honors after a fantastic pair of performances at last weekend's tournament.
 
Peaking at the Right Time
Ithaca certainly is firing on all cylinders heading into the NCAA Tournament. Ithaca has gone 14-1 over its last 15 matches entering the weekend with the lone loss a five-set defeat against SUNY New Paltz. Over that stretch the Bombers have won seven of those matches in straight sets.
 
NCAA Tournament History
This Friday will mark the Bombers 40^th NCAA Tournament match in program history. It marks the 19^th time that Ithaca has qualified for the tournament. IC has a 19-20 overall record in the tournament, which includes a 12-6 record in opening-round matches. The Bombers have never faced Middlebury in the NCAA Tournament. Visit the following link for a full record of Ithaca's history in the NCAA Tournament: CLICK HERE.
 
Ithaca Versus the Regional Field
The Bombers went 1-1 against opposing teams that are present in the Brockport Regional. IC scored a straight-sets victory over Clarkson, who resides in the top half of the regional bracket, while the Bombers dropped a three-setter against the regional hosts in the season-opening match. Ithaca has a chance of facing Brockport in the Round of 32 if both teams win their respective opening round matches.
 
Scouting Middlebury
The Panthers enter the tournament on quite a roll, as they upset Tufts to win the NESCAC Championship last weekend. Middlebury had a difficult time down the stretch, closing out the regular season with losses in four of its final five matches. However, the team rolled through the postseason tournament, avenging a regular season loss to Bates in the quarterfinals, before sweeping Amherst 3-0 to make the NESCAC finals. The Panthers flipped the script on top-seeded Tufts, avenging a five-set loss during the regular season with a five-set victory to earn the conference's automatic berth.
 
Junior outside hitter Becca Raffel paces the team offensively with 285 kills, while second-year outside hitter, Isabel Sessions, also is formidable with 260 finishes during the year. The Panthers top interior presence is sophomore middle hitter Sarah Staver, who posted 141 kills during the year. She also was the team's top defender at net with 95.0 total blocks on 26 solos and 69 assists.
 
Like Ithaca, Middlebury runs a six-two rotation with its setters. Senior Hannah Blackburn leads the team with 430 assists during the year, while freshman Chellsa Ferdinand has added 303 helpers this season. The Panthers passing has been primarily a team effort with four players with over 200 digs on the year. Rookie libero Gigi Alper paces the team with 271 digs on the season.
 
Looking Ahead
If the Bombers are able to advance past their opening-round matchup, they will face the winner of Friday's final match, which pits host Brockport against Gallaudet. The match will be played at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 12.