FREDONIA, N.Y. – The 19^th-ranked Ithaca College women's volleyball team was back on the road on Saturday when it traveled to another SUNYAC program for the Fredonia tri-match. The Bombers opened the day with a dominant straight-sets sweep of winless Capital University (25-9, 25-12, 25-11) during the opening match of the day. Ithaca concluded the day with a straight-sets sweep against the host Blue Devils (25-21, 25-18, 25-11).
 
No. 19 Ithaca 3 – Capital 0 (25-9, 25-12, 25-11)
Ithaca opened the day's action with its most dominant hitting effort of the season in a three-set runaway against Capital. The Bombers racked up 47 kills in the three sets, posting a season-high .528 hitting percentage against the out-matched Crusaders.
 
The first set was quite impressive, as Ithaca wasted little time in setting the tone for the match. IC racked up 14 kills against just one attacking error in finishing with a .650 hitting mark in the frame. Three 3-0 scoring runs, followed by a 4-0 stretch and a 5-0 stretch to close out the set, provided the early leg up in the 25-9 win. Sophomore outside hitter Reagan Stone was one of five Bombers to record at least one kill in the set, finishing with a team-high six kills. First-year Monet Peoples added three kills and one block assist during the set.
 
The second set had a similar feel to the first with the Bombers pulling ahead early and sealing things with a dominant effort midway through the game. A 9-1 scoring surge blew open a 13-8 lead into a 23-9 advantage. Four IC players record kills during the stretch with first-year Jaelyn Hershberger leading the way with a pair of finishing spikes. Sophomore pin-hitter Sarah Jennison capped off the set with the final two points on kills.
 
Scoring runs of 6-0 and 7-0 provided the big difference in the third game to clinch the match. Stone tallied a kill and service ace, while junior pin-hitter Taylor McCarthy and senior middle hitter Katie Evans each added kills during the initial 6-0 surge, which turned a 4-3 lead into a 10-3 advantage. The subsequent 7-0 scoring run was powered by seven successive IC kills. Senior right-side Ruby Dyson led the way with three kills during the stretch, while Hershberger added two scoring finishes with Peoples and junior setter Caitlyn Floyd providing the other two kills.
 
Five kills down the stretch capped off the impressive set that saw IC score 20 of their 25 points on kills.
 
Leading the way for IC in today's opener was sophomore outside hitter Reagan Stone. Ithaca's leading pin-hitter hit double-digit kills for the fourth consecutive outing and 10^th time in 14 matches this season in helping the Bombers to their fourth straight win. She finished with a .625 hitting percentage in the contest. Stone added two block assists, two service aces, and one dig.
 
Two first-year players also hit new career highs in the opener. Outside hitter Jaelyn Hershberger posted nine kills on the day, while middle hitter Monet Peoples also tallied a career best with seven kills. Hershberger achieved hers on a perfect 1.000 hitting posting a point on all nine of her attacking swings. Peoples hit at a .500 clip, while also adding three block assists.
 
Providing more offense in the middle was senior Katie Evans. She notched seven kills on .455 hitting success, while also posting a pair of block assists. On the outside it was a trio of Bombers that added four kills apiece in senior right-side Ruby Dyson, junior Taylor McCarthy and sophomore Sarah Jennison.
 
Floyd had an efficient outing with 38 assists. She stuffed the stat sheet with two kills, three service aces, five digs, as well as a solo block and block assist.
 
The Bombers backline was paced by senior libero Tara Stilwell who finished with 11 digs and five assists. She also added a pair of service aces. Fellow senior Hailey Adler registered seven digs and one assist, while first-year Jordyn Lyn Hayashi added four digs, one service ace and one assist. Sophomore Delaney Runyon added some strong serving in a specialist role.
 
No. 19 Ithaca 3 – Fredonia 0 (25-21, 25-18,
The Bombers continued their impressive form in the final match of the day, rolling past a Fredonia squad that has been one of the stronger teams in the New York region during the opening month of the season. Ithaca was dominant once again, racing past the Blue Devils to win in straight sets.
 
For the second straight match, IC turned in an impressive hitting performance, posting over .300 hitting success as a program. IC turned in .400-plus hitting in both the first and third frames, which included a 15-kill, .429 hitting mark in the clinching third set, which saw the Bombers take the game in a runaway 25-11.
 
Once again it was Stone that paced the way for IC with another double-digit kill effort. She finished with 11 kills on .316 hitting, while also picking up the double-double with 14 digs, as well as one service ace and one solo block.
 
Aiding the effort on the outside first-year Jaelyn Hershberger and junior Taylor McCarthy. Hershberger posted six kills on .386 hitting, also posting three digs and two block assists. McCarthy had three kills on .286 hitting.
 
In the middle, Evans turned in another excellent effort with eight kills on .400 hitting success. She added three block assists. Peoples had two kills on two swings.
 
Floyd once again went over 25-assists, finishing with 27 in the match. She added four kills, four digs, and one block assist.
 
The backline was led by Stilwell, who finished with double-digit digs again, marking 10. She added one kill and one service ace. Adler had seven digs and two service aces. Runyon finished with one dig and a service ace.
 
Looking Ahead
Ithaca returns to action next weekend with a two-match swing to the Capital Region. First, the Bombers face Skidmore in a pivotal Liberty League match on Friday, October 5, at 7:00 p.m. IC finishes the weekend the following day at 2:00 a.m. at Union.