ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College volleyball team was tested by SUNY Geneseo as they were taken to five sets but closed out on an 11-1 run to claim a victory over the Knights as they finished up the Bomber Invitational with a convincing three set win over Susquehanna University. All in all it was a good weekend for the Bombers who went 2-1 and improve their record to 7-3.
VS. SUNY GENESEO (25-17, 27-25, 27-29, 24-26, 15-8)
Following a tough three-set loss to the No. 9 Blue Jays of Johns Hopkins University on Sept. 15, the Ithaca College volleyball team bounced back with a neck-and-neck 3–2 showing over the SUNY Geneseo Knights on Sept. 16 in Ben Light Gymnasium.
The competition took off to an evenly matched start, with each team going point-for-point during a large majority of the first set. The Bombers were able to break Geneseo's momentum with strong performances at the baseline, seeing four straight service aces from first year setter
Wesley Slavin that put the Bombers up, 13–10, and pressured the Knights into their first timeout.
The Bombers refused to let up there, ultimately securing the first set 25–17. First year outside hitter
Gabriela Gonzalez-Abreu led the team in points with six kills and a service ace during the frame.
The second set followed a similar pattern to the first, with both teams earning five apiece within the first ten points. However, the Bombers slipped away once again, bringing the score to 16–10 before the Knights called their first timeout of the set. The Knights came out of the break with more fire in their play, challenging the Bombers at the net and tying the competition at 21–21 before the Bombers called a timeout of their own.
The match continued to run neck-and-neck, but Gonzalez-Abreu was happy to accept the challenge. The first year nailed the set-winning point with ease, securing another win for the Bombers, 27–25, and putting the match at 2–0.
Some miscommunication brought the Knights to an early lead in the third set, but a strong performance at the net by senior middle hitter
Jamie Koopman earned the Bombers some momentum. A five-point streak brought the lead back for the Bombers, 9–8, before Geneseo called their first timeout of the set.
Following another sequence of back-and-forth action, Koopman's energy continued to fuel the Bombers' offense, earning two consecutive kills that offered the Bombers a three-point lead at 22–19 — their largest lead of the set. The Knights kept up the pressure, sending the match into set-point after set-point. They ultimately secured the set, 29–27, bringing the match to 2–1.
In a set nearly identical to the rest, the Bombers found leads here and there during the fourth frame of competition. Two consecutive kills by first year outside hitter
Naomi Clauhs had Ithaca's bench on its feet, sending the match into another sequence of set-points on either side of the court.
The Bombers utilized their first timeout of the set at the 24–23 mark, but the break was not quite enough for the squad in blue. Geneseo secured the fourth set, 26–24, sending the match into a fifth and final frame.
The Bombers earned an 8–7 lead in the fifth set before deciding to flip the switch, seeing four consecutive kills from Koopman to bring the set into match-point at 14–18. An attack error on Geneseo secured the victory for the Bombers, 3–2.
Koopman and Gonzalez-Abreu each led the Bombers with 17 kills apiece, and Slavin put up another impressive performance with 57 assists. The Bombers will cap off the Bomber Invitational when they face Susquehanna University at 6 p.m.
VS. SUSQUEHANNA (25-18, 25-19, 25-17)
Ithaca College put together a dominate performance over the Susquehanna River Hawks, in the final match of the Bomber Invitational.
The Bombers started off with an early 15-8 lead.
Naomi Clauhs and
Wesley Slavin connected on a number of prominent points throughout the beginning of the set. Susquehanna fought back from their deficit to make the score 16-12, but an ace from
Samantha Klemm halted the River Hawks momentum, leading to a timeout. It was all Bombers after the Susquehanna timeout. Another ace from Klemm, along with a great block from
Ella Graper and a kill from
Faith Sabatier ended the set in a 25-18 score.
The second set started off strong with three kills by
Jamie Koopman that made it an early 5-2 lead for the Bombers. However, the beginning of the set was back and forth between the two teams, with three total ties throughout the set (6-6, 7-7, 12-12). A kill from
Ella Graper allowed the Bombers to pull away to a 16-13 lead. At 19-15, Susquehanna called a timeout to regroup. After the timeout,
Naomi Clauhs and
Jamie Koopman had back-to-back kills to advance the score 21-16. In the final points of the match, kills from
Jamie Koopman and
Karina Garcia ended in favor of IC at 25-19.
Early blocks from
Faith Sabatier and
Ella Graper got the Bombers started off with a 2-1 lead. Similar to the second set, momentum shifted back and forth between the teams, with ties at 4-4, 7-7, 10-10, and 11-11. An opposing attacking error from the River Hawks, a
Faith Sabatier kill, and an ace by
Julia Costa gave the Bombers all the momentum, leading to a Susquehanna timeout. Great plays from
Jamie Koopman and
Wesley Slavin, along with Susquehanna errors made the score 21-15. After the Bombers had the third set in the bag, Coach
Johan Dulfer rotated in some of its younger players onto the floor. The match ended with a kill from
Naomi Clauhs, and the score was 25-17.
Impressive performances of the game came from
Wesley Slavin who had 32 assists, and
Jamie Koopman who had 15 kills.
REACTION FROM HEAD COACH JOHAN DULFER
"Geneseo taught us the ever valuable lesson that opportunities are precious no matter the opponent, remarked Dulfer." "Too many errors can put you in a deep hole. I am just grateful that we were able to fight through that and really rally in that fifth set an end on a high note. We played freer and looser, and it showed on that nice run to close out the match."
"Against Susquehanna it was a serve and pass battle that was the difference in the match, but we definitely controlled the energy better, Dulfer said. "We were in complete control of how much energy and love we give our team during a match against a perenerially strong opponet, I commend our bench for staying engaged all day long."
Ithaca College will return to action in five days on Friday, September 22 for the New Paltz Invitational. They will take on New Paltz at 6 p.m. on Friday followed by Williams College (12:45 p.m.) and Manhatanville College (3 p.m.) on Saturday.
