ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College women's volleyball team made its long-awaited return to Ben Light Gymnasium for the first match of a four-match homestand this week on Wednesday evening when it welcomed SUNY Cortland for the final non-league match ahead of Liberty League play. The Bombers got back on the winning track, shaking off a slow start to win in four convincing sets (26-28, 25-16, 25-13, 25-11). The win improves IC's record to 8-5 on the year.
 
It has been an up-and-down start to the season for the Bombers through four weeks of play. Competing against some of the best programs in the nation has witnessed a young IC squad battle through some growing pains, entering tonight's match just a shade above .500 at 7-5. This has not told the whole story, as IC has statistically been neck-and-neck against the nation's best. Tonight's match showcased both the struggles and the enormous potential that this IC squad has, as the team shrugged off a wobble in the opening set to deliver a dominant performance over the final three frames to score the convincing win over their local rivals.
 
"We generally do a pretty good job of scoring enough points to win, but we haven't always came out on top in those sets so far this year," head coach Johan Dulfer began. "Our biggest issue through the early part of this year has been shooting ourselves in the foot. We were even in kills with Johns Hopkins, had way more kills than Susquehanna, but we ended up coming up short in those matches because of our own unforced errors. Tonight I was glad that we were able to overcome more of the same in that opening set and put together a really strong finish that will send us into a really big weekend for us."
 
Ithaca really found its form as the match continued this evening. Despite amassing 19 kills in the opening set, the Red Dragons were able to escape with a 28-26 win in extra points to take the early leg up in the match. The biggest culprit were 10 errors in the frame, which gave Cortland many unearned points. The Bombers did an entire 180-degree turn when play shifted to the second set. IC posted three convincing set wins, amassing 21-, 14- and 15-kills, respectively, while converting on a .312-or-better hitting clip in all three of the dominant frames. Ithaca finished the evening with a 69-to-26 lead in kills, 7-to-4 edge in service aces, and 96-to-57 lead in digs.
 
Junior right side Reagan Stone again led the way for the Bombers with a 23-kill and 15-dig double-double; however, most encouraging was a huge performance at the other pin. Junior Sarah Jennison and first-year Camryn O'Leary each posted season-highs with 14 kills apiece to really turn the tide in Ithaca's favor as the match continued. O'Leary finished with a .333 hitting success rate, while she added one block assist and completed her first career double-double with 10 digs. Jennison finished with a .345 hitting percentage, while she also added four digs.
 
The Bombers also received some big contributions in the middle. First-year Jennifer Pitts also reached double-digits on the night with 10 kills on .476 hitting success, while she also chipped in two solo blocks. Junior Katie Basey chipped in four kills and two block assists in a complementary effort.
 
Senior Caitlyn Floyd was once-again delivering the setups with precision. She topped 50-assists for the third time over the past four matches, amassing a season-high 59 assists. She also was timely in getting in on the act with four kills on .375 hitting, while also picking up two service aces and a double-double with 10 digs.
 
The backline for IC was phenomenal, rarely allowing a Cortland swing to find space. Sophomore libero was stellar, making several highlight-reel level digs, finishing with a season-high 29, while also adding one service ace. First-year Grace Isaksen was a two-way threat with 12 digs as well as a match-high and career-best four service aces. Classmate Hannah Hughes finished with 10 digs. Sophomore Laura Severance chipped in four digs in one set of action. In total, Ithaca had a season-best six players finish with double-digit digs in the match.
 
Things looked good for the Bombers during the early portion of the match, as IC got off to a strong start to the evening. Behind the attacking of Stone and Pitts, Ithaca raced out to an 11-5 advantage in the first set. Unfortunately, the good feelings did not last, as IC got stuck in a rotation, which Cortland capitalized into an 8-0 run to pull ahead for the first time. Although IC got a side-out, the Red Dragons followed things up with another 4-0 surge to take command.
 
Ithaca did not back down, continuing to attack things aggressively in an effort to get back into the set. The Bombers would whittle down the deficit down the stretch, before actually pulling ahead 25-24 on the strength of a 3-0 run that featured kills from Jennison and Stone. Unfortunately, IC was unable to sustain the momentum when things went to extra points. Cortland stole the set with a 4-1 run that had two kills from Nadi Moore, while the Bombers helped the visitor's cause with two untimely errors.
 
"One positive that we take pride in is that we didn't play tentatively," Dulfer explained. "Most of our errors are not from being too passive, but rather because we are a bit overaggressive. I think that was certainly the case during the opening set, but I'm glad that we could rein it in as the match moved forward."
 
Ithaca looked like a different team when play got back underway in the second set. The Bombers delivered perhaps their most dominant performance of the season, racking up 21 kills on .500 hitting success to easily pull away. The difference came midway in the set, as IC ripped off a 9-1 run, primarily with Floyd at the service line to blow things open at 17-7. Jennison was phenomenal, scoring five kills during the stretch. Cortland never threatened down the stretch, as O'Leary, Pitts and Jennison each marked two additional kills to see things out and even the match at 1-1.
 
The third set also featured a big IC run to take control. While play remained relatively close midway through the frame, Floyd's serving sparked a 6-0 run to break things open again at 19-10. The senior setter marked two aces during the streak. The Bombers capped the pull-ahead third set with another 6-0 run to score significant momentum heading into the fourth. All six points came from kills with O'Leary notching the final three.
 
"I thought it was so encouraging that we had so many sources of offense tonight," Dulfer said. "I thought that we ran a really good offense tonight and in particular we did an excellent job of capitalizing out of system as well. It was great that we were able to spread the ball around and I thought Caitlyn did a great job of putting the ball ahead of our hitters throughout the night."
 
The fourth set was more of the same for IC. The Bombers began the frame with a 6-0 run fueled by the serving of Isaksen to seize early control. Ithaca never looked back from there, as a subsequent 5-0 scoring run which featured a pair of kills from both Jennison and Stone again pushed the lead into double-digits at 17-7. Another 6-0 scoring run with Isaksen working the service line iced the contest for the Bombers. O'Leary capped her career evening with the clinching kill.
 
"Overall, it was great to be playing back on our home court," Dulfer concluded. "It certainly makes a difference and we are excited to get this result heading into a very big weekend of Liberty League play as well as a crucial in-region battle against NYU. All three teams we face in Union, Skidmore and NYU will present significant challenges and it will certainly shape the trajectory of our season in the next few days."
 
Ithaca will tip-off the three-match weekend on Friday night, September 27, when Union invades Ben Light Gymnasium for the Liberty League opener at 7:00 p.m.