ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College women's volleyball team entered its Liberty League finale against Union College on Saturday afternoon hoping to potentially clinch hosting rights for the League's postseason. The Bombers accomplished that goal, taking care of business in three sets against the Dutchwomen (25-22, 25-16, 25-15) and getting help from a North Country rival to ensure more home matches at Ben Light Gymnasium in two weeks' time.
 
"I don't think it gets any better than winning your league championship at home, in the weirdest of plot twists," an ecstatic head coach Johan Dulfer said post-match. "We are fortunate and proud and I love that this great group of young women will get a chance to defend their home court for one more weekend."
 
The day began with Ithaca, Clarkson and Vassar tied atop the Liberty League standings with identical 5-1 records in League play. While the Bombers hosted Union at home, the Golden Knights and Brewers faced each other in a match that had huge postseason implications in Potsdam. By virtue of Clarkson's four-set triumph over Vassar, IC and Clarkson finished the League slate with 6-1 records with the Bombers holding the tiebreaker due to their head-to-head win against the Golden Knights earlier this season. The Bombers will face fourth-seeded Skidmore in the opening round of the Liberty League Tournament.
 
Adding to the atmosphere on Saturday was an emotional day for Ithaca's 2017 senior class that was playing its final regular season match at Ben Light Gymnasium. The squad recognized its five senior members: Caroline Gerulskis, Joelle Goldstein, Kayla Gromen, Izabella Mocarski and Marlee Wierda, as well as their families in a pre-match ceremony.
 
With the pomp and circumstance surrounding the day, it wasn't completely unexpected that the Bombers came out a little shaky in the opening set. Union led for the majority of the frame, but a late rally by IC helped the home side take control as the match continued. Ithaca out-paced Union 45-to-25 in kills, finishing the match with a .308 team hitting percentage, the seventh time it has reached the mark this season.
 
With the Dutchwomen leading the opening set 21-19, IC buckled down in the clutch scoring six of the final seven rallies to eke out the 25-22 win. It was their bookends on the pins that did the heavy lifting, as Goldstein sparked the run with a pair of kills and Reagan Stone finished off the frame with back-to-back spikes to the Ben Light hardwood. IC concluded the set with 16 kills and hit at a .361 clip.
 
Buoyed by their strong finish, the Bombers came out firing in the second set. Gerulskis notched three early kills to help IC build some separation at 7-3. Shortly thereafter, a 5-0 scoring run by the home side pushed the advantage wider with junior Katie Evans marking a pair of kills and Stone adding a solo block. Union closed the gap no closer than four throughout the rest of the frame.
 
Ithaca clinched the second frame with a 5-1 run to close out the 25-16 win. Evans continued her big middle set with the final two points coming on kills.
 
The third followed a similar blueprint to the second, pulling away as the set wore on. Already leading 12-8, IC strung together at 7-1 scoring run to effectively seal the match. Stone marked two kills during the run, while Gerulskis added a kill and a block assist. A service ace by Gromen and kills by Goldstein, Evans and junior Amanda Cerruti clinched things down the stretch.
 
"It's great to see that our tough schedule is paying off," head coach Johan Dulfer said post-match. "Even when we may not be playing our best, we appear awfully calm and confident that we can change the momentum in our favor. We have played some of the best teams in the country and it turns out that we walked away with the realization that we don't have to be afraid of anyone. Add to that the environment of our own gym, and I'm just so happy with our performance tonight."
 
Evans and Stone led the way for the Bombers offensively with 10 kills apiece. Stone finished the match hitting at a .529 clip, while she added one solo block and one block assist. Evans swung at a .238 success rate, while she chipped in one solo block and two additional block assists. Cerruti also had a solid day in the middle, finishing with five kills on .364 hitting and one block assist.
 
At the pins, Gerulskis and Goldstein, fittingly considering it was senior day, led the way with nine and seven kills, respectively. Gerulskis added four digs and one block assist, while Goldstein led the Bombers with a team-high 12 digs. Junior Hailey Adler chipped in one assist, one service ace, and nine digs.
 
Sophomore Caitlyn Floyd had another clinical effort, finishing with 35 assists and chipping in four kills on .375 hitting. She also accumulated four digs and one block assist.
 
Behind the block, junior libero Tara Stilwell marked 11 digs, one assist, and one service ace. Gromen finished with six digs, one assist, and one service ace. Wierda added an ace, while Mocarski picked up two digs.
 
The Bombers return to action next Friday, October 27, when they kick off the first of two days at the Eastern Invitational. IC will face old Empire 8 rival Stevens Institute of Technology in its only Day One match at 5:00 p.m.