Post-Match Press Conference | Full Video Replay
 
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Ithaca College women's volleyball team had its season come to a close one match short of the Division III National Championship, falling to #6 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in an extremely tight four-set match (23-25, 25-23, 21-25, 18-25). The loss brings Ithaca's final 2017 record to 25-9, while it brings to a conclusion Ithaca's most successful NCAA Tournament run in the program's 50-year history.
 
The Bombers began the day looking to score a victory that would qualify them for the first National Championship appearance in the team's half century of competition. Standing in IC's way was the hottest team in the country in a CMS squad that entered tonight's first NCAA Semifinal match on a 20-match winning streak dating back to the end of September.
 
The Athenas punched their ticket to Grand Rapids by qualifying through the Georgetown, Texas Regional, which saw the team score victories over AVCA Top-25 squads in #5 Southwestern (TX) and #1 Colorado College. Sixth-ranked CMS also handily won its NCAA Quarterfinal match, dominating the final three frames in a four-set victory over #16 Gustavus Adolphus yesterday afternoon. Certainly battle tested, Ithaca gave the Athenas their toughest battle of the Tournament in four competitive frames that favored the California side by the narrowest of margins as the final ball fell to the sport court in Calvin College's Van Noord Arena.
 
The two sides traded blows from the opening serve. Ithaca amassed 51 kills on a .177 success rate in the match, hanging almost dead even with CMS, which registered 56 kills and a .221 hitting mark in the match. IC outpaced CMS 13.0-to-12.0 in total blocks and almost finished in a dead-heat in digs with the Athenas narrowly outpacing the Bombers 58-to-56. Strong serving in critical moments proved to be the difference, as CMS notched seven service aces and kept IC out of system during stretches of the third and fourth set deal Ithaca the defeat.
 
Leading the way for Ithaca in the attacking column were a pair of pin-hitters in freshman Reagan Stone and senior Caroline Gerulskis. Each outside hitter marked 13 kills in the match to pace the Bombers.
 
Stone converted on a .212 hitting percentage, while also adding three block assists, two digs, and one assist. The AVCA Honorable Mention All-American certainly established herself as a force to be reckoned with on the national stage, finishing with 26 total kills and five block assists over her two matches in Grand Rapids.
 
Gerulskis put an excellent cap on what has been a great stretch run for the senior pin-hitter. Saving her best performances for the NCAA Tournament, her 13 kills on Friday were her second-best mark of the year. The Southborough, Mass., product also recorded a season-best four block assists in the match.
 
Senior captain Joelle Goldstein also turned in a valiant effort in what was the final match for one of the most decorated players in program history. Despite battling illness throughout the course of this weekend's tournament, she delivered an excellent all-around performance with eight kills, 16 digs, two block assists, and one service ace. She finishes her outstanding career on South Hill with 1,430 kills and 1,121 digs.
 
In the middle, junior Amanda Cerruti continued to showcase why she was one of the breakout performers during this week's Championship Rounds. Cerruti racked up 10 kills on .269 hitting, while she delivered one of the most impressive defensive performances in the country this season. The West Islip, N.Y., native amassed 10 total blocks on the Athenas' dynamic attack, finishing with two solos and eight block assists. She finishes her stay in Grand Rapids with 23 kills, three solo blocks and 13 block assists in an effort that will surely garner her consideration for the NCAA Championships All-Tournament Team.
 
Junior Katie Evans chipped in five kills and two block assists in today's match to round out IC's primary attackers.
 
Sophomore setter Caitlyn Floyd notched her fourth double-double of the year, racking up 42 assists and 10 digs on Friday. It was her fourth consecutive match posting 40-plus assists, while it was the eighth time over her last 10 matches that she had reached the mark. She also recorded one solo block, one block assist, and one kill.
 
Behind the block, junior libero Tara Stilwell finished with 12 digs, while also marking three assists, one service ace and a rare kill. Senior Kayla Gromen added nine digs in the final match of her IC career. Like Goldstein, Gromen also finishes her career ranked in the Top-10 in a category, finishing with 2,683 assists and ending with 1,200 career digs. Senior Marlee Wierda delivered several strong serves and added one assist in one dig in her final collegiate match. Junior Hailey Adler posted four digs and one assist.
 
The tone for the match was set right from the outset, as both teams did not waver an inch during a highly competitive opening set. Despite the Athenas swinging at an other-worldly .471 in racking up 19 kills during the game, Ithaca hung right there until the final point, scoring 14 kills and a .367 hitting mark of their own.
 
CMS grabbed the first significant momentum in the opening game with a 4-0 run to gain some separation at 13-9. Ithaca's small deficit remained about the same margin throughout the middle portion of the frame, before IC battled back to close the gap to 21-20 on the strength of a 4-1 scoring stretch. Highlighting the stretch was a service ace for Stilwell, while Ithaca's relentless block gave CMS trouble.
 
The Athenas responded with a 3-0 stretch to push Ithaca to the brink; however, the Bombers did not wilt. IC fended off three consecutive set-points with a trio of kills by Stone to pull back within at point at 24-23. Unfortunately, a Shelby Stein kill gave the initial leg up to CMS 25-23.
 
Through 33 matches entering the day, Ithaca had never failed to at least take one set against an opponent. That streak continued this evening, as the Bombers posted a huge effort in the second frame to flip the script in a 25-23 win to even the match at 1-1.
 
An early 5-1 scoring run, which featured two kills from Gerulskis, one kill from Stone, as well as a kill and solo block from Cerruti pushed IC into an 8-4 lead. Despite the fast start CMS continued to deliver thunderous shots, eventually pulling ahead with a 3-0 scoring spurt to make the score 18-17.
 
Showing their classic resilience, the Bombers responded with a 4-1 scoring run that was highlighted by a Gerulskis kill and another solo block from Cerruti. Ithaca's 21-19 advantage prompted a CMS timeout. The Athenas made full use of the break, rattling off four consecutive points to again put the pressure back on IC in the waning moments of the second set.
 
Staring down a potential two-set hole, Ithaca exploded for the set's final four points to even the match at 1-1. Cerruti and Gerulskis teamed up on two separate combo blocks of the Athenas' Stein, while Gerulskis finished off the frame with a big kill off the block.
 
The crucial moments of the third and fourth sets proved to be the difference in the match. The Bombers gained early leads in each of the final two sets, taking narrow advantages into the media timeouts midway through both frames. Unfortunately for Ithaca, CMS put together just enough in the critical moments of each game to pull out the victory.
 
It looked as though Ithaca was going to snag the pivotal third set. Coming out of the media timeout already leading 15-13, the Bombers widened the gap to four points at 17-13 by virtue of a Stone kill and an attacking error by the Athenas' Melanie Moore. However, a 10-2 scoring run by CMS pulled the California side back into the lead at 23-19. Although Ithaca cut the deficit to 23-21 on a solo block by Floyd and a kill by Goldstein, the Athenas hung on for the final two points and the two-sets-to-one lead with a 25-21 third-set win.
 
The two sides again traded punch and counter-punch during the early portions of the fourth frame. A 4-2 scoring run by IC, fueled by two Gerulskis kills sent Ithaca into the media timeout with a 15-14 lead. Once again, CMS responded out of the break rattling off four straight points to pull ahead. After the two sides traded points over three successive rallies, a 5-0 run by the Athenas effectively sealed the match. The Bombers fended off one match-point opportunity when Goldstein beat the block for a kill, but CMS was able to forge ahead to the National Championship when Margaux Arntson's final drive got just under Goldstein's diving dig attempt.
 
Gerulskis, Goldstein, Gromen, Wierda and senior Izabella Mocarski complete their collegiate careers, while the rest of the Bombers return for the 2018 campaign with the knowledge that the program is right there among the nation's elite. Despite ultimately falling two results shy of its ultimate goal, Ithaca put the nation on notice that it will be a major player in the years to come.