Stevens Box (PDF) | Juniata Box (PDF)
 
ITHACA, N.Y. – The No. 8 Ithaca College women's volleyball team jumped back into action on Saturday when it returned to Ben Light Gymnasium for a double-dip against Stevens and No. 17 Juniata in the second day of the 2018 Bomber Invitational. IC showed serious grit and determination on the day, scoring victories over two highly ranked programs to come out of the weekend with a 2-1 record. The Bombers defeated the Ducks in four sets (25-23, 25-20, 16-25, 25-20) during the opening match of the day, before rounding out the day with a five-set thriller against the Eagles (25-20, 24-26, 20-25, 27-25, 15-10).
 
The wins did not come without cost, as senior captain Amanda Cerruti had to exit in day's second match with an injury. Although she was able to walk off under her own power, she was unable to return to the match and the injury will be something to monitor moving forward. Despite the significant loss in the middle, Ithaca showed incredible resiliency that has become a hallmark of head coach Johan Dulfer's club over the past two seasons. The Bombers battled back from down a set to take the victory in five frames, scoring a victory over perennial volleyball power Juniata for just the second time in the series.
 
"Today was a big step in the development of our program," head coach Johan Dulfer said following the conclusion of play on Saturday. "We had a few things not go our way early on and I witnessed a very young team come together and overcome adversity in very impressive fashion. We talk about what focusing on being a teammate can do for a team, and tonight's performance was proof of how close we are as a team. The trust that is starting to develop was so great to see. My staff and I are so proud of the fight and the resilience that the team showed tonight."
 
No. 8 Ithaca 3 – Stevens 1 (25-23, 25-20, 16-25, 25-20)
The Bombers opened play on Saturday looking to get back on track after coming up just short in three closely contested sets against No. 2 Calvin on Friday evening. Improved passing and commitment to higher-percentage plays were keys IC was hoping to capitalize on, after struggling in those area during the first match of the season. Ithaca showed solid improvements in both areas en route to the four-set triumph.
 
Ithaca finished the match with a .230 hitting percentage, marking 53 kills to pull away from the Ducks. Leading the way for IC was sophomore outside hitter Reagan Stone, who was on top of her game in the opener. She finished with 15 kills on a scintillating .700 hitting percentage, while she also posted one dig and one block assist.
 
Ithaca's middle duo also proved to be a thorn in the side for Stevens. Senior Katie Evans also was much sharper with her swings this morning, notching 10 kills on 17 swings in a .529 hitting performance. She also totaled a pair of block assists. Cerruti was dynamic as well, posting nine kills (.100 hitting), while she was stalwart defensively with one solo block and five block assists.
 
Providing further production on the outside was another solid performance by freshman Alison Lipton. She ended the match with seven kills, three digs, and one block assist. Junior outside Taylor McCarthy posted four kills, three digs, and one block assist, while sophomore Sarah Jennison added two kills and two digs as well.
 
Junior setter Caitlyn Floyd had an easier time with some better passing, turning that improved first-ball feeds into 46 assists. She also added three kills, four block assists, and two digs.
 
Looking much more confident was the IC backline on day two. Junior libero Tara Stilwell was again on-point after an excellent showing last night. She paced the Bombers with 21 digs, while she also added four service aces. Senior defensive specialist Hailey Adler also got into double-digits in digs, marking 11 and adding a pair of kills on three swings. Freshman Laura Severance chipped in 10 digs, one service ace, and one kill, while fellow first-year Jordyn Lyn Hayashi looked much more comfortable in an eight-dig, three-assist performance.
 
Although IC showed a little wobble in the third frame, letting the Stevens extend the match with a 25-16 win, the Bombers buckled down in the fourth set. Ithaca snagged an early advantage in the fourth frame and maintained the lead throughout. Stevens closed the gap to as close as 19-17 late, but the serving of Stilwell stemmed the momentum. She marked two service aces, sandwiching a Lipton kill, as part of a 4-0 run that effectively sealed the match. Kills by Adler and Stone down the stretch saw out the match with a 25-20 win in the fourth set.
 
No. 8 Ithaca 3 – No. 17 Juniata 2 (25-20, 24-26, 20-25, 27-25, 15-10)
The highlight of the day certainly came in Ithaca's second match of the day. Looking to come out of the weekend on a high note, the Bombers faced off a Juniata squad that was smarting after coming up just short in a five-set thriller against No. 2 Calvin in the middle match of the day. A matchup that has been razor thin over recent years, going five sets with Juniata prevailing each of the past two seasons, IC flipped the script in comeback fashion in today's finale. The Bomber stormed back from down a set to force a decisive fifth frame, in which IC completed the comeback in a 15-10 triumph.
 
Facing match-point in the fourth set, the Bombers turned to their sophomore standout in Stone and did she ever deliver in the clutch. Stone powered down a cross-court kill to pull Ithaca within one at 24-23, before getting to work in a rare serving opportunity. A strong serve turned into an attack error on a scramble to push the set to extra points, while she followed that with a kill to push IC into the lead coming out of a Juniata timeout. Although Juniata would level the set at 25-all, IC took the next two points with Adler seeing things out with a service ace.
 
The Bombers used the momentum to take an early lead during the fifth set. Kills by Stone and McCarthy, coupled with a Stilwell service ace, highlighted a 5-0 run that gave the Bombers some separation with a 7-3 lead. IC never relinquished its hold, as back-to-back kills by Stone a few points later pushed the advantage to 10-5.
 
Ithaca saw out the thrilling comeback win with a 4-1 scoring run, which was again started by a Stone kill. Sophomore middle Katie Basey, filling in admirably when Cerruti exited with the injury late in the second set, notched a kill as well during the run. Lipton finished things off a precise kill down the line.
 
Once again it was Stone that was a force. She took her game to another level down the stretch, finishing with 22 kills on 47 attacks (.319 hitting). The sophomore also was impressive defensively, coming up with six clutch digs, including a huge one to keep the match alive in the fourth set.
 
Lipton complemented her well on the outside in another impressive outing for the rookie. She reached double-digit kills for the first time in her fledgling collegiate career, finishing with 10 kills (.167 hitting), four digs, and two service aces. Jennison added seven kills (.182 hitting) and three digs, while McCarthy added some clutch plays down the stretch in a two-kill, two-dig effort.
 
In the middle, Evans led the way with six kills (.250 hitting), while also adding one service ace, one solo block, and two digs. Cerruti marked five kills (.200 hitting) and three block assists before exiting the match with the injury. Basey scored two kills and a block assist in her first action of the year.
 
Floyd topped the 40-assist mark for the second time on the day. She had an excellent day, especially down the stretch, finishing with 48 assists, five kills (.500 hitting), seven digs, and two block assists.
 
Joining the lineup in a serving role, sophomore Delaney Runyon also shined in her first action of the season. Although she finished with one dig to show on the stat sheet, she delivered several strong serves that IC turned into points.
 
Stilwell again paced IC's passing effort with 16 digs, while she added four assists, and three more service aces. Adler marked nine digs and had an excellent serving day with a team-high four service aces. Hayashi finished with seven digs, while Severance posted four digs in the match.
 
Looking Ahead
The Bombers will return to action with another home quad next weekend, as it welcomes SUNY Geneseo, Susquehanna and Wesleyan (Conn.) for the South Hill Classic on Friday, September 7, and Saturday, September 8.