Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 LANCASTER, Pa. – The Ithaca College volleyball team continued to assert itself as a force to be reckoned with on Friday, when it opened up play at one of the most competitive tournaments of the non-conference season at the 2016 Franklin & Marshall Scramble. The Bombers stretched their winning streak to eight consecutive matches with four-set victories over No. 14 Carnegie Mellon and Stevenson.
 
"Every match is a puzzle," head coach Johan Dulfer began. "Our opponents today gave us two entirely different looks in terms of how they were attacking and defending us. You have to be able to dissect what your opponent is presenting and find ways to exploit that. I am proud of how we are able to put the pieces together to get the job done."
 
Ithaca 3 – #14 Carnegie Mellon 1 (25-18, 18-25, 27-25, 25-21)
 
Ithaca started the day's action with one of the best victories in program history, downing 14^th-ranked Carnegie Mellon in four sets to score its second win over a nationally-ranked opponent of the season.
 
"It is truly a collective effort that is aiding us in getting these results," Dulfer continued. "The flow of information is so crucial for us, whether it be what the coaching staff is seeing, what the players on the court are seeing, and also players who are not in the regular rotation. Everyone is contributing to this and I think our ability to 'out-team' our opponents has been the crucial aspect to our success this season."
 
IC set the tone in the match early, racing out to an early lead over the Tartans and maintaining it throughout the opening set. The Bombers would take the advantage in the match with a comfortable 25-18 win in the first set.
 
Carnegie Mellon punched back in the second set, winning it by the same seven-point margin as the opening set. With the match tied at a set apiece, the third frame set to be a pivotal one in deciding the outcome of the match. In stark contrast to first two sets, the third was much more closely contested as neither team could generate a sizeable advantage. The game would take extra points in order to decide, but the Bombers, hungry to continue to prove themselves on the national stage, prevailed for the 27-25 win.
 
Intent not to let the contest go to a fifth and final set, Ithaca snatched an advantage in the fourth set. Although Tartans made a push to keep the contest going, IC saw out the victory with a 25-21 triumph in deciding fourth game.
 
"Our greatest strength has been our ability to grow throughout the match," Dulfer added. "The team's ability to process information and make the necessary adjustments on the fly has really helped us improve as the match continues."
 
Leading the way for the Bombers offensively was sophomore, Hailey Adler, who posted one of the finest attacking performances of her IC career. She racked up 14 kills on 25 attacks, committing just one error to hit at a blistering .520 success rate. The West Chester, Pa., product added three service aces, three digs, a solo block, and two block assists in an excellent all-around effort.
 
Junior, Joelle Goldstein, added a double-double with 11 kills (.241 hitting percentage) and 11 digs. It marked her fifth double-double of the season and fourth over her last five contests. She also chipped in a pair of service aces, as the Bombers racked up nine total in the match.
 
Freshman, Taylor McCarthy, also posted double-digit kills, collecting 10, while she added eight digs and two service aces of her own. Classmate, Caitlyn Floyd, was the facilitator for many of the Bombers chances throughout the match. She posted a new career-high with 30 assists, while she also chipped in seven digs to aid IC's phenomenal defensive effort.
 
Not to be overshadowed by the offensive attack at the pins, the Ithaca middle also posted a strong collective effort. Sophomore, Amanda Cerruti, led the way with nine kills on 20 attacks (.300 hitting percentage), while she continued her stalwart defensive work at net with one solo block and two block assists. Junior, Caroline Gerulskis, chipped in five kills in her return to the rotation, while sophomore, Katie Evans, added three kills.
 
Junior, Kayla Gromen, amassed 18 assists, while she was not afraid to insert herself on attack. She scored two key kills on timely push opportunities to keep the Tartans off-balance. Sophomore, Tara Stilwell, continued to pace the IC defense behind the block with 18 digs.
 
Ithaca 3 – Stevenson 1 (25-23, 17-25, 25-19, 25-14)
 
Despite a two-hour window between its first and second match, Ithaca continued to stay in form when it took the court against Stevenson in the night cap of day one. The Bombers stayed opportunistic with their attack and perpetuated their stellar defensive effort from the opening match to complete the opening day sweep with a four-set win over the Mustangs.
 
"Our mantra throughout the season has been to live in the moment," Dulfer continued. "We do not look ahead and we do not get complacent after victories. Every time we take the court, we treat it as an opportunity to learn and to get better as a team. That is the mindset that will prepare us for the goals we hope to achieve this season."
 
Following a similar trend to first match of the day, IC jumped out to an early lead in the match, overcoming a seven-point deficit to win 25-23 in the opening set. However, the Mustangs battled back with a comfortable 25-17 win over the Bombers in the second frame.
 
With the momentum of the match hanging in the balance, Ithaca again came up with the clutch plays to snatch control of the match in the third game. Ithaca did a good job of minimizing its errors, committing just seven total over the final two sets to perpetuate its winning streak. The Bombers took the third set 25-19. IC was clinical in the fourth set, posting just a single error, as the team cruised to a 25-14 win.
 
"The heart and effort level of this team truly makes it unique," Dulfer exclaimed. "In the crucial moments, they find a way to battle through. There is no other team I would rather go to battle with than the one putting on that Ithaca uniform every day."
 
Like the opening match, McCarthy continued to pace the team in attacking opportunities in the match against the Mustangs. She led IC with 12 kills on 33 attacks (.273 hitting percentage), while she added eight digs and two service aces.
 
Goldstein narrowly missed out on her second double-double of the day, but posted a fantastic performance in the win. She chipped in nine kills on 23 attacks (.217 hitting percentage), while she added a season-high 18 digs.
 
Cerruti carried the team over vast stretches to post perhaps her best all-around match of the season. She amassed nine kills on 20 attacks for a team-leading .350 hitting percentage. Her defensive work as even more dominant, as she added two solo blocks and eight block assists.
 
Floyd continued to have masterful touch in conducting the Ithaca attack. She finished with 24 assist and three digs. Gromen added 12 helpers and five digs.
 
Stilwell also marked an excellent stat line with a team-high 20 digs and four service aces. Junior, Marlee Wierda, and Adler each added three service aces, as the Bombers marked season-best 13 in the match.
 
Looking Ahead
Ithaca will begin second day action against tournament-host Franklin & Marshall at noon. IC wraps up the weekend scramble at 2:00 p.m. when it clashes with No. 13 Eastern.