SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The No. 19 ranked Ithaca College volleyball team participated in the Springfield Invitational on Saturday, starting the day with a three-set victory over Rivier University (25-19, 25-11, 25-16). The Bombers then faced a tough challenge, losing a heartbreaking five-set match to (RV) Stevens (25-23, 24-26, 19-25, 25-14, 12-15). This marks the second consecutive season Stevens has bested IC in a five-set match.
 
REACTION FROM HEAD COACH TARA STILWELL 
"There was lots of production from the bench in both matches," said Stilwell. "Josie came in and really provided a spark. Brianna had a solid fourth set in the Stevens match and helped change the tides. Bridget did her job well. Gaby was something else, and some of her swings were truly unreal. I also thought our passing was solid, and Peyton was helpful in her position on defense."
 
The match against Rivier University began with an opponent service error, and the Bombers strung together a 6-0 run to go up 13-8, including a pair of aces from Maddie Cox. Another strong stretch in the middle of the set, featuring four consecutive points and a pair of kills from Faith Sabatier, put the Bombers up 17-10. IC closed out the set with two more kills from Naomi Clauhs and Faith Sabatier, winning 25-19.
 
The second set was the most dominant, with the Bombers recording a match-high 15 kills and hitting at a .423 clip. Ithaca started strong with two big scoring runs, building a 16-3 advantage sparked by Samantha Klemm at the service line. A Jayden Wiese kill put IC up 22-7, and they closed out the set with a successful swing from Josie Hampton, assisted by Maddie Cox, to go up 2-0 in the match.
 
Rivier scored the first point of the third set, but IC quickly responded with three straight points, including a Naomi Clauhs kill and an Ellie Benedict service ace. Rivier tied it at eight points apiece, but the Bombers showed their strength at the net, leading 17-11 after a Bridget Altland kill. IC clinched the match with a Wesley Slavin ace.
 
Ithaca produced nine aces, with Maddie Cox totaling three and Samantha Klemm adding two. Cox also notched 20 assists, while Naomi Clauhs led the team with nine kills on 16 swings.
 
In the match against Stevens, the Bombers won the first and fourth sets. In the decisive fifth set, they built a 4-1 lead with the help of a pair of kills from Gabriela Gonzalez-Abreu. However, they eventually lost the advantage and were down 14-10. Despite showing grit by scoring two in a row, they fell 15-12.
 
Ella Graper had a strong opening set with five kills and two blocks. IC swung the momentum back in its favor in the fourth set, hitting a match-best .294. The Bombers established an 11-4 lead, capped off by a Peyton Miller service ace and a Brianna Owen kill. Ithaca took the set 25-14 after a successful swing from Faith Sabatier and an opponent attacking error.
 
Gonzalez-Abreu recorded a season-high 22 kills, while Naomi Clauhs and Ella Graper contributed 11 and 10 kills, respectively. Clauhs, Wesley Slavin, and Peyton Miller each totaled three aces.
 
IC returns to action hosting the annual Bombers Invitational (Sept. 6-7), where they will face the University of Rochester at 1 p.m. and Middlebury College at 3 p.m. on Friday.