COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Ithaca College volleyball team was back in action with two more matches on the second day of the Colorado College Invite on Saturday. Unfortunately, the Rocky Mountain State continued to trouble the Bombers on Day Two, as they fell to Whittier College in four sets (14-25, 25-23, 21-25, 20-25) and Berry College in a five-setter (28-26, 19-25, 22-25, 28-26, 9-15). Ithaca finishes the two-day event with a 1-3 mark.
 
At the conclusion of the day, Colorado College released its list of All-Tournament Team honorees. Ithaca's junior libero Tara Stilwell earned selection on the list, racking up 91 digs over the four matches on the weekend.
 
Ithaca opened the day against a Whittier College squad that finished with a 2-2 mark at the event. The Bombers got off to a slow start in the match, digging a big hole en route to a lopsided 25-14 loss in the first set. However, the team bounced back with a 25-23 second set win to even the match at the midway point. Unfortunately, IC was unable to sustain the momentum, falling in close games in the third and fourth frames to fall in four sets.
 
The Bombers were led by sophomore Taylor McCarthy, who posted a game-best 16 kills on a scintillating .394 hitting percentage. She also posted two block assists and three digs in the match.
 
Junior Katie Evans hit double-digits for the second time on the weekend, 10 kills and adding a pair of block assists as well. Senior Joelle Goldstein also chipped in seven kills, three block assists, and 13 digs.
 
Defensively, Ithaca received a pair of huge efforts. At net, freshman Reagan Stone was an absolute terror against the Poets. She amassed one solo block and nine block assists. The rookie also added five kills. Behind the block, Stilwell had one of her finest matches in her Ithaca career, finishing with 27 digs.
 
The Bombers looked to salvage the day in the afternoon session when they matched up against Berry College out of Georgia. Although Ithaca improved its hitting from the first match against Whittier, the squad still struggled to find its bearings in the altitude.
 
Unlike against the Poets, IC was able to get off to a solid start out of the gates against Berry. The Bombers put up 17 kills and reeled off four of the final five points to take the set in extra points 28-26. After Berry took the next two sets to take its first lead in the match, Ithaca scored another 28-26 victory in set four to force the match to go the distance.
 
The fifth set was tight through the first half with the teams knotted at 7-7. However, Berry was able to pull away from there, finishing the match on an 8-2 run, which included the final five points to clinch the decisive fifth set.
 
The Bombers had three players notch double-digit kills, headlined by Goldstein's double-double effort of 19 kills and 18 digs. McCarthy chipped in 12 kills, two block assists, and three digs. Junior pin-hitter, Hailey Adler, marked 10 kills on .375 hitting, while adding two block assists and three digs.
 
Sophomore setter Caitlyn Floyd had a career match, racking up a career-best 46 assists and 10 digs. Freshman Delaney Runyon added 11 assists.
 
Ithaca's middle was also successful. Junior Katie Evans and Reagan Stone combined for 17 kills and seven block assists in the match. Evans marked eight kills and five block assists, while Stone had nine kills and two block assists. Stilwell had a second consecutive passing clinic, finishing with 27 digs for the second time on the day.
 
Ithaca returns to action next weekend when it travels to Juniata College for the ASICS Invitational on Friday, September 8, and Saturday, September 9. IC opens the two-day event with a 7:00 p.m. contest against 13^th-ranked Juniata on Friday.