Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 POTSDAM, N.Y. – The Ithaca College volleyball team returned to action on Saturday afternoon, as the team rounded out its weekend trip to the North Country with a pair of matches against nationally-ranked foes. The Bombers began the day with a thrilling five-set loss to No. 3 Juniata College, before securing a straight-sets sweep of No. 20 Clarkson University. The split leaves Ithaca with a 2-2 record heading into its home opener on Tuesday evening.
 
Ithaca 2 – No. 3 Juniata 3 (16-25, 14-25, 25-20, 25-21, 11-15)
 
Ithaca opened this afternoon's action with an absolutely thrilling five-set affair against the nation's third-ranked team. The Eagles were the highest-ranked opponent Ithaca has faced, since facing a Juniata squad that ranked second in the nation during the 2009 season.
 
Although the match ultimately went the distance, it looked as though it would come to a swift end during the opening two sets. Juniata held the Bombers to miniscule .086 and .056 hitting percentages during the first two frames, respectively. However, Ithaca did not wilt despite facing a steep up-hill climb to get back into the match.
 
"We really struggled in the serve-pass game during the first two sets," head coach Johan Dulfer remarked. "Our passers were having a difficult time contending with their serves, which prevented us to get into any sort of attacking rhythm."
 
The Bombers regrouped between the second and third sets and launched a furious comeback to get back into the match. IC hit at a scintiallating .375 success rate during the middle frame and posted a solid .257 mark in the fourth to force a decisive fifth set. Ithaca's net-front defense played a big role in the comeback, but the IC passers also helped spark the charge as they began to settle into the match.
 
"Once our passers settled down, we were able to generate a good amount of one-on-one matchups with our hitters," Dulfer continued. "The tendency is to try to do too much when you are facing a big hole like we were in the match. I think we played with purpose, being playing with aggression when we could and playing smart volleyball when we needed to be smart. I began to see that from us yesterday and it was good to see that it carried over into today."
 
Riding the wave of momentum, Ithaca jumped out to an early 5-4 advantage in the decisive fifth set; however, a 4-1 scoring run by Juniata gave the Eagles a lead they would not relinquish. Juniata took the final set by a 15-11 score.
 
Joelle Goldstein led the Bombers with 12 kills on 30 attacks, posting a .333 hitting percentage in the match. Amanda Cerruti also joined Goldstein with double-digit kills, finishing with 11 on 17 attacks to mark a .471 success rate. Katie Evans added nine kills on 17 attack to also mark a .471 hitting percentage.
 
Kayla Gromen and Caitlyn Floyd continued to split the setting workload in the Bombers' six-two rotation. Gromen just missed out on a double-double, finishing with 21 assists and nine digs. Floyd added 16 helpers and three digs. Both setters collected a pair of kills apiece.
 
A pair of newcomers led the defensive effort on the ground for IC. Tara Stilwell made a team-high 20 digs, while Taylor McCarthy added 15 digs in addition to five kills.
 
Ithaca 3 – No. 20 Clarkson 0 (25-23, 25-22, 25-20)
 
Despite having their incredible comeback against one of the nation's top teams come agonizingly just short, the Bombers remained composed in facing a swift turnaround in the second match of the day against 20^th-ranked Clarkson.
 
"We as a coaching staff did not need to say anything to our players between matches," Dulfer said. "They really showed their mental fortitude and a level of toughness in being able to put the first match behind them and immediately focus on the task at hand against another tough opponent."
 
Ithaca certainly did not need any extra motivation, as the Golden Knights ended the Bombers season in the second round of the NCAA Tournament a season ago. That fire to avenge last season's defeat was evident right from the opening serve, as the Bombers quickly took control of the match with a gutsy opening set win.
 
The Bombers trailed by a single point late in the frame, but a three-point run lifted IC to a 21-19 lead. Katie Evans marked a pair of kills during the scoring run. The Golden Knights were able to battle back to tie the set at 23-all, but Joelle Goldstein bookended the frame with back-to-back kills to lift Ithaca to a 25-23 win.
 
The middle set was a game of scoring runs, as Ithaca and Clarkson traded sizeable point streaks. However, it was the Bombers that had the last laugh to take firm control of the match. Trailing 22-20, IC rattled off five consecutive points to take the set.
 
The Bombers raced out to an early 7-1 lead in the third frame, continuing to build the advantage to a 13-4 lead at the halfway point of the set. Clarkson closed the deficit to four points, but IC saw the set out to secure the straight-sets win.
 
Joelle Goldstein notched her first double-double of the season, collecting a team-high 10 kills and adding 14 digs. She was also a terror for the Golden Knights at the net-front, notching two solo blocks and a pair of block assists.
 
Katie Evans added seven kills, four block assists, and one solo block. Hailey Adler also posted a strong effort with six kills and two block assists.
 
Floyd led IC's distributing tandem with 15 assists, while Gromen added 13 assists and seven digs. Tara Stilwell continued to star in her role as a defensive specialist, marking 23 digs.
 
The victory was a historic one for IC. It represented the program's first victory over a nationally-ranked team, since dispatching SUNY Cortland in four sets during the 2005 season. The victory also marked Clarkson's first loss against an opponent from its region since October of 2012, a stretch spanning 150-plus matches.
 
"Our biggest concern as a coaching staff heading into this weekend was seeing continued improvement from match-to-match," Dulfer continued. "It certainly was a tall order today with matches against two teams in the initial AVCA rankings. Before we began action today, I think the team was a little skeptical that we could compete at the level of a Juniata or Clarkson, but we clearly saw that when we are doing the right things and playing with purpose we can be in the same discussion with those kind of programs. Today was a big break-through for us."
 
Ithaca is set to make its home debut at Ben Light Gymnasium on Tuesday, September 6, as the Bombers welcome Oswego State for a 6:00 p.m. clash.