BROCKPORT, N.Y. – The 22^nd-ranked Ithaca College women's volleyball team was on the road on Friday night when it tipped off the first of three matches at the Brockport Golden Eagle Invitational. The Bombers got off to a fine start to the weekend, as IC outlasted a gritty Hamilton outfit in three-set match that was quite competitive, winning 30-28, 25-23, 25-16. The victory improves Ithaca's record to 4-3 on the year.
 
"I think the greatest thing we took out of this evening is our ability to battle," head coach Johan Dulfer said. "I think for the first time this season, we really grew into the match as it continued and made steady improvements to really finish on a high note. I look forward to seeing how we translate that growth in confidence and conviction into tomorrow."
 
Looking to build some momentum during the team's third weekend of action on the season, IC encountered some stern resistance during the opening moments of the match. The first set turned into a marathon, which extended eight extra points before a winner was decided. In the end, it was the Bombers that came out on top in a wild 30-28 finish to grab the early leg up.
 
It was some shaky passing in the serve-receive that contributed to IC's slow start, but the attacking was fairly sharp. Ithaca racked up 23 kills in the marathon set, converting on a .274 hitting clip.
 
The second set again began fairly tight, however, Ithaca strung together a sustained run midway through the frame to open up a 17-11 advantage. The Bombers looked to be in prime form, but Hamilton did not back down and made things interesting down the stretch. An 8-2 scoring run by the Continentals closed the gap within a point, making things an absolute grind. IC dug deep, making a few big digs and putting together just enough offense to pull out the 25-23 set win.
 
"I think that in the early going we again struggled with our confidence in all areas of our game," Dulfer explained. "We have the ability to be a special team, but right now it's the mental part of the game that is the biggest road block from reaching that potential. It was good see us grow that confidence as the match continued."
 
The third set featured a dominant effort for IC. The Bombers raced out to a double-digit lead early in the frame and carried the sizeable advantage throughout in the comfortable 25-16 win that clinched the match. Ithaca's attack continued to hum, racking up 15 kills on .303 hitting, while IC limited Hamilton to just five kills on negative-.095 hitting clip in the decisive frame.
 
Ithaca was led in kills by junior right-side Reagan Stone who posted 14 kills on .385 hitting clip. She also added three digs and one block assist. IC's attacking at the pins was aided by junior Sarah Jennison and first-years Noemi Talton and Camryn O'Leary. Talton paced the trio with seven kills on .333 hitting. Jennison chipped in five kills and three digs, while O'Leary added four kills and four digs.
 
In the middle, first-year Jennifer Pitts posted her best collegiate match in her young career. She posted nine kills on .444 hitting clip, while adding one block assist, two service aces, and three digs. Sophomore Monet Peoples notched two kills on just four attacks, while junior Katie Basey notched one kill and two solo blocks.
 
Senior setter Caitlyn Floyd had a strong match. She amassed 34 assists and added her own offense with five kills and two service aces. She notched her third double-double of the season, tying for the team-high with 14 digs.
 
The backline was paced by first-year Grace Isaksen. The newcomer posted 11 digs and one kill. Sophomore Jordyn Lyn Hayashi also hit double-digits with 10 digs in the match. Sophomore Laura Severance chipped in five digs, while first-year Hannah Hughes delivered four digs.
 
Ithaca returns to the court tomorrow morning when the Bombers take on Rochester in the first of two matches on the day at 11:30 a.m. The Bombers conclude the day's action at 2:00 p.m. against tournament-host Brockport.