ITHACA, N.Y. – The No. 20 ranked Ithaca College volleyball team hosted Union College at Ben Light Gymnasium on Friday evening for a Liberty League matchup. The Bombers maintained their momentum from a win on Wednesday at the University of Scranton, securing their second consecutive sweep by defeating the Garnet Chargers with set scores of 25-14, 25-17, and 25-18. With this victory, Ithaca improves to 13-3 overall and 3-0 in conference play.
The Bombers started the first set strong with kills from Faith Sabatier and Josie Hampton, along with contributions from Naomi Clauhs and Anaya Prince. Sophomore setter Wesley Slavin delivered two consecutive service aces, advancing the score to 11-6 in favor of Ithaca. Union struggled to counter Ithaca's attack, ultimately falling behind. Faith Sabatier closed the set with a kill, leading to a 25-14 finish. The Bombers recorded a season-best 21 kills on 43 attempts, achieving a .442 hitting percentage.
The second and third sets were more competitive, but the Bombers continued to dominate. Despite a few lead changes, Ithaca excelled in closing out the sets, outperforming Union in kills, assists, points, aces, and digs.
In the third set, the Bombers began with a 14-6 run, paving the way for their 12th sweep of the season. Union made a push in the third frame, narrowing the deficit to four at 16-12 and three at 21-18, but Ithaca responded with four-straight points to clinch the match. Key plays to close out the set included an ace from Slavin and a kill from Jayden Wiese.
Team leaders for the match for IC were Faith Sabatier with 14 kills, Wesley Slavin with 34 assists and 4 aces, Ellie Benedict with 14 digs, and Josie Hampton with a block. Gabriela Gonzalez-Abreu nearly achieved a double-double, totaling 12 kills and nine digs.
The Bombers will continue their weekend at Ben Light Gymnasium, facing Vassar College on Saturday, October 12 at 2 p.m.
