CORTLAND, N.Y. - In a battle of the second and fifth ranked teams in the most recent NCAA Division III region III rankings, the Ithaca College and SUNY Cortland volleyball programs went the distance for the second time this season on Wednesday playing all five sets. They traded points back-and-forth in the decisive fifth set before the Bombers dropped a heartbreaker going to extras in the fifth set, 20-18. Cortland took the first set 28-26 before IC won the next two by scores of 25-21, 25-20 and the Red Dragons won the fourth set 25-22 to force the decisive fifth set which they won 20-18 earning the 3-2 victory.

The first set featured five different ties and two lead changes with Cortland running out to an early 13-9 advantage. Momentum began to shift within the set as the Bombers scored eight-straight points as the run was assisted by a few hitting errors by the Red Dragons. Jaelyn Hershberger connected with a kill that put IC up 23-21 that forced an opponent timeout, but out of the break Cortland tied it up at 23, 24, 25 and 26 points apiece before two straight kills gave them the first set at 28-26.

It was all Bombers within the second set with a Faith Sabatier kill beginning the set as her team built a 3-0 lead and never gave up the lead in the second frame. Another Jaelyn Hershberger kill put IC up 11-5 and they went on to a 17-9 advantage with them evening the score at 1-1 with the 25-21 set win.

The third set matched the first in hitting output with the Bombers connecting for 16 kills which equated to a 70% hitting percentage. The score was tied seven different times with most of them occurring early in the frame. Tied at 14 points apiece, the Bombers rattled off 11 of the next 17 points as Jamie Koopman went on a hot streak with four kills, which put IC up 2-1.

The fourth and fifth sets were the most competitive as things got close in the fourth with another Jamie Koopman hit that got past the Red Dragon defensive backline tying it at 20 points apiece. They traded points and after it was 22-22, Cortland scored the final three points of the set.

Ithaca went down early in the decisive fifth set but rallied and went up after a big kill in the middle of the net from Paris Buckner that put her team up 13-12. The Bombers weren't able to put the match away as they were at match point on three separate occasions before falling 20-18 on an attacking error.

Jamie Koopman led the team with 19 kills and had seven block assists at the net. Paris Buckner nearly had a double-double with nine kills and nine blocks. Jordyn Lyn Hayashi led all players with 25 digs and Peyton Miller tallied 35 assists.

The Bombers will celebrate Senior Day in their next match slated for Friday, October 29. The program will honor its seniors in a pregame ceremony prior to the start of 7 p.m. against Oneonta.