ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College women's volleyball team is set to hit the road this weekend when it heads into postseason play in Potsdam, N.Y., for the 2019 Liberty League Tournament. The Bombers will begin the weekend in the second of two Semifinal Round matches on Friday, November 8, when it faces third-seed RIT at 7:30 p.m. If Ithaca should advance to Saturday's Championship Match, the Bombers will face the winner of the first Semifinal Round match between fourth-seeded St. Lawrence and top-seeded Clarkson at 4:00 p.m.
 
Semifinal Match #1
#1 Clarkson (23-5, 6-1 LIBERTY LEAGUE) vs. #4 St. Lawrence (22-9, 4-3 LIBERTY LEAGUE)
Friday, November 8, 2019 | 5:00 PM | Alumni Gymnasium – Potsdam, N.Y.
 
Semifinal Match #2
#2 Ithaca (17-9, 6-1 LIBERTY LEAGUE) vs. #3 RIT (18-11, 5-2 LIBERTY LEAGUE)
Friday, November 8, 2019 | 7:30 PM | Alumni Gymnasium – Potsdam, N.Y.
 
Championship Match
Winner of Semifinal #1 vs. Winner of Semifinal #2
Saturday, November 9, 2019 | 4:00 PM | Alumni Gymnasium – Potsdam, N.Y.
 
Live Coverage
Watch | Live Stats | Twitter
*Links will be same for all matches this weekend
 
LAST TIME OUT
While it has not been an easy road for the Bombers this season, IC finally picked up the signature victory it has sought for all season in the team's regular-season finale last Saturday. After narrowly dropping a five-set battle less than 24-hours earlier on the road at perennial national contender Johnson & Wales on Friday, IC rallied to score a thrilling five-set win over 20^th-ranked Wesleyan (Conn.) on Saturday. The triumph was Ithaca's first in nine tries against a nationally-ranked foe this season, while the win certainly helped solidify Ithaca's position within the region heading into the final weekend of action, before the 64-team 2019 NCAA Tournament field is selected.
 
ROAD WARRIORS
For the first time since joining the Liberty League in 2017, Ithaca will not be playing host to the league's postseason tournament inside the friendly confines of Ben Light Gymnasium. Clarkson snatched away hosting rights to this weekend's event by virtue of a head-to-head win over the Bombers in a four-set battle two weeks ago on Friday, October 25. Although both squads finished with a 6-1 record in league play, the Golden Knights had the pivotal head-to-head win to ensure the tournament would be heading back to the North Country. Ithaca will hope that playing the Liberty League Tournament on the road will yield happier results, as IC has come up empty on earning the Liberty League Championship and the league's auto-bid each of the past two seasons. The Bombers fell to Clarkson in the Championship Match two season's ago, while the Golden Knights stunned Ithaca in the Semifinal Round match last fall. Playing away from home has been a mixed bag for Ithaca this season, as the squad enters the weekend with a 5-5 record in true road matches and a 5-3 mark in neutral-site contests.
 
REGIONAL RANKINGS
Ithaca received some good news on Wednesday when the NCAA published its penultimate set of Regional Rankings from the nation's eight regional advisory committees. By virtue of Ithaca's strong final road weekend against a pair of Northeast powers in Johnson & Wales and Wesleyan, IC moved up to second in the New York Region, trailing only Clarkson. While two wins would ensure Ithaca a berth to the NCAA Tournament, the most recent publication of rankings certainly leaves the possibility of an at-large berth still in play as well. Although Ithaca's resume may be a little lighter than last season in terms of signature wins, the Bombers high strength of schedule – ranked fifth in the country as of this week – certainly has helped keep Ithaca right in the thick of the discussion heading into the weekend.
 
COMEBACK KIDS
Ithaca certainly showcased its incredible resiliency and willingness to battle until the final point during the team's final weekend of competition. While the Bombers comeback effort at No. 23 Johnson & Wales came up just short, the squad finally was able to get over the hump against the 20^th-ranked Cardinals on Saturday. Trailing the match by two sets, Ithaca rallied back with wins in both the third and fourth sets to force a fifth frame. Although the Bombers dug an early hole in the decisive fifth set, IC roared back again down the stretch, rattling off the matches final six points to score a huge victory, which could prove pivotal in the day's ahead.
 
ALL-AMERICANS LEAD THE WAY
If Ithaca is going to reach its aspirations of a Liberty League Championship this weekend, it is likely that the team's duo of returning AVCA All-Americans will be shouldering the major roles. Senior setter Caitlyn Floyd and junior right side Reagan Stone have enjoyed fantastic seasons in 2019 with the pair leading the Liberty League in most of the relevant offensive categories. Floyd's 11.18 assists per set average far-and-away pace the Liberty League this season, as she ranks 1.26 assists per set above her next closest counterpart in RIT's Brianna Ellis. Her 1,017 total assists also pace the field by a whopping 117 helpers. On the receiving end of Floyd's feeds has been Stone, who leads the Liberty League in kills per set (4.49) and points per set (5.09).
 
BOMBERS AMONG NATIONAL LEADERS
Floyd and Stone not only rank among the Liberty League's top performers, but also among the nation's very best entering conference tournament weekend. Stone's 5.09 points per set is the eighth-best mark in the country this season, while her kills per set average of 4.49 is fifth-best. Floyd's assists per set average of 11.18 ranks fourth-best in the country heading into the weekend.
 
COMPLEMENTARY OFFENSE
While much of the focus of Ithaca's attack will be on Floyd and Stone, the Bombers will need huge efforts from its other attacking pieces as well. Sophomore Alison Lipton and junior Sarah Jennison will play big roles at the pins, while IC's trio in the middle consisting of first-year Jennifer Pitts, sophomore Monet Peoples and junior Katie Basey will all look to provide timely contributions. Lipton has shown down the stretch this season, racking up 49 kills over her final four matches, while hitting .214-or-better in each of her past three outings. Pitts has also capped the regular-season on a high-note with some strong two-way play. The IC rookie has amassed 37 total kills over the past four matches, hitting at least .259-or-higher in each outing, while she has averaged 3.75 total blocks per match during that stretch.
 
LIMITING ERRORS
Errors in service and serve-receive has been a nagging issue for Ithaca throughout the 2019 campaign. This aspect could not have been showcased any more poignantly than in Ithaca's regular-season matchup against Clarkson when IC gifted the Golden Knights 28 points with 16 service errors and 12 reception miscues. The Bombers have really cleaned up that aspect over the past three matches, averaging less than two service errors and just over one reception error per set. IC will need to continue this positive trend this weekend. The magic number for the Bombers is 15 combined service and reception errors. Ithaca is 13-1 when registering less than 15 combined errors, while IC is just 4-8 when committing 16-or-more.
 
LIBERTY LEAGUE PRIMER
Check out the following link for some additional story-lines to look out for this weekend: CLICK HERE. Insights curtesy of Clarkson's Athletic Communications Department.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
The NCAA is set to unveil the 64-team bracket shortly after noon on Monday, November 11.