2019 Schedule
 
ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College women's volleyball program officially publicized the schedule for the upcoming 2019 season on Wednesday afternoon in an official announcement from head coach Johan Dulfer. Another challenging slate awaits the 2019 Bombers, as IC will once again face one of the most challenging gauntlets in the country this coming fall. Ithaca is set to get the year underway during the final weekend of August and will look to continue building into one of the premiere volleyball programs in the country.
 
Coming off back-to-back NCAA Regional Championships in both 2017 and 2018, the Bombers will once again test themselves against some of the top programs in the nation. The non-league schedule features six teams that finished the season ranked within the AVCA's final Top-25 rankings for the 2018 season. Couple that with the always challenging Liberty League slate that once-again figures to present several significant battles in its seven-match regular-season. In total, 10 of Ithaca's opponents on the schedule this coming fall earned bids to the 2018 NCAA Tournament, while three of those opponents advanced to the final NCAA Championship weekend in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Of the Bombers' 26 regular-season opponents, 21 of those teams posted winning records last season.
 
"We are really excited about this year's schedule," head coach Johan Dulfer said. "To be the best you have to play the best and whether it's away from Ithaca, or on our home floor. We will have plenty of opportunities to compete with the very best in the country this year."
 
As was the case last fall, Ithaca will begin the 2019 campaign on its home court when it gets the season underway with a four-team tournament at the Bomber Invitational at Ben Light Gymnasium on Friday, August 30, and Saturday, August 31. The season will open with a doubleheader, as IC is set to face Ohio Wesleyan in the first match of the opening day at 3:00 p.m., before returning to the court for the feature match at 7:00 p.m. against Berry College. IC concludes the two-day event the following afternoon with a match against Wisconsin-La Crosse at 4:00 p.m. Of the three opponents, the Bombers last played both Berry (Ga.) and Ohio Wesleyan during the 2017 regular-season with IC falling to Vikings in a five-setter at the Colorado College Invite during the opening weekend and winning a five-setter against Ohio Wesleyan at the Midwest Invitational in mid-October. Berry is the first of the 10 opponents that qualified for NCAA Tournament play last fall.
 
Following the opening home weekend, Ithaca will hit the road for a trio of three-match invitational weekends to begin the month of September.
 
The first of those weekends will be a big test against the best the Keystone State has to offer when the Bombers head to Huntingdon, Pa., for the ASICS Invitational at Juniata College. IC begins the tournament with the headline match of the evening on Friday, September 6, taking the invitational hosts at 7:30 p.m. The second day of the invitational brings matchups against Carnegie Mellon at 11:00 a.m. and Swarthmore at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 7. Juniata finished last season ranked third in the final AVCA Top-25 Poll, advancing all the way to the National Semifinals. IC won last year's regular-season meeting against the Eagles in a five-set thriller at Ben Light Gymnasium during the 2018 opening weekend. IC has also enjoyed a burgeoning rivalry with CMU over the past several seasons with the sides splitting a pair of matchups last season; Ithaca's win coming in the NCAA Regional Championship at Ben Light Gymnasium this past November. Swarthmore was a Championship Site qualifier during the 2017 postseason.
 
The second road weekend takes Ithaca to Brockport on Friday, September 13, and Saturday, September 14. IC opens the two-day invite with a clash against NESCAC foe Hamilton at 6:30 p.m. The final two matches occur on that Saturday, as IC faces UAA opponent University of Rochester at 11:30 a.m., before wrapping the day with a back-to-back against the host Golden Eagles at 2:00 p.m. Brockport is the only program that Ithaca has seen somewhat recently, as the Golden Eagles came out on top in pair of meetings during the 2016 season.
 
The final weekend of the stretch takes the team back to Pennsylvania for a two-day event at the Susquehanna Invitational on Friday, September 20, and Saturday, September 21. The Bombers begin play with a matchup against University of Mary Washington at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. They follow that with a double-header on Saturday against Johns Hopkins at 1:00 p.m. and Susquehanna at 3:00 p.m. The Bombers faced both Mary Washington and Susquehanna last fall, as IC suffered a five-set defeat to the Eagles at the Wittenberg Invite and scored a four-set win over the River Hawks at home at the South Hill Classic. Ithaca has only met Johns Hopkins one previous time, securing a three-set sweep at the NYU Invitational back in 2006. Johns Hopkins and Mary Washington both made the NCAA Tournament last fall.
 
Ithaca finally makes its return home with a four-set run during the final week of September. IC kicks off the busy stretch with a non-league home date against Route 13 rival SUNY Cortland at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 25. The Bombers continue the week with a three-match weekend that includes their first two Liberty League matchups. Ithaca opens the Liberty League slate against Union at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, September 27, while the back half of the double-dip features a home tilt against Skidmore at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 28. That Saturday will also feature a non-league match against NYU following the clash with the Thoroughbreds with a start time set for 6:00 p.m.
 
The Bombers will get a bye week to prepare for its first Liberty League road weekend. IC will break its 13-day hiatus from match action on Friday, October 11, when it hits the road to face Bard at 7:00 p.m. The Bombers will conclude the weekend at Vassar the following afternoon at 2:00 p.m. Ithaca won both of the matchups against the Raptors and Brewers last fall.
 
One final non-league invitational comes during the middle of October, as Ithaca heads back out to Grand Rapids, Michigan, for the annual Midwest Invitational on Friday, October 18, and Saturday, October 19. IC last traveled to the event during the 2017 season and this year's installment once again figures to feature some marquee matchups. The Bombers will have perhaps most challenging day of the season that Friday with a 3:00 p.m. clash against nationally-ranked Hope and a 7:00 p.m. tilt against 2018 NCAA Runner-Up Calvin at 7:00 p.m. Ithaca faces Elmhurst the following afternoon at 12:30 p.m. All the matches will be played at Calvin's Van Noord Arena.
 
There will be no ease in the schedule when the Bombers return east for the stretch run of Liberty League play. The regular season will likely be decided during the final October stretch, as the final week of the month features a road contest at RIT at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 23, and a road trip to Clarkson for a 4:00 p.m. clash on Friday, October 25. IC wraps the Liberty League slate at home on Saturday, October 26, against St. Lawrence at 4:00 p.m. The Tigers won the 2018 Liberty League Championship and advanced to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament last fall, while Clarkson has been a perennial stalwart in league play over the past decade plus.
 
The final week of the regular season features a pair of marquee road matches in non-league play. First, Ithaca heads to Providence, Rhode Island, for a 5:00 p.m. match against Johnson & Wales on Friday, November 1. The Bombers will wrap the regular season the following afternoon with a noon tilt in Middletown, Connecticut, against Wesleyan University. Both teams have been New England powers in recent seasons with Johnson & Wales advancing to the NCAA Championship Site in 2017 and Wesleyan doing so as well last fall. The Bombers won a regular-season meeting against the latter Cardinals during the second weekend of the 2018 season last fall.
 
The Liberty League Championships are slated to be held on Friday, November 8, and Saturday, November 9. NCAA Tournament play is set to get underway on either Thursday, November 14, or Friday, November 15.
 
Stay tuned for more information on IC Women's Volleyball as the preseason gets closer later this summer.