POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – The No. 17-ranked Ithaca College volleyball team passed a key Liberty League road test on Friday evening, sweeping Vassar College in three sets (35-33, 25-18, 25-21) behind a blistering .431 hitting percentage. The win improves the Bombers to 13-3 overall and 4-0 in Liberty League play, while the Brewers drop to 13-4 and 2-1 in conference action.
The opening set was a thrilling back-and-forth battle that extended well beyond regulation, with Ithaca ultimately prevailing 35-33. Of the Bombers' 35 points, 27 came via kills, showcasing their offensive firepower. IC overcame multiple set points before clinching the frame on a
Brianna Owen kill followed by a Vassar attacking error. The teams traded points evenly up to 24-24, with
Naomi Clauhs giving Ithaca a brief edge. The Bombers then staved off four set points before sealing the win.
Addison Leadbetter continued her dominant play at the net, hitting an.929 clip with five kills in the second set alone. Vassar opened the frame with a 9-7 lead, but Ithaca responded to tie the score at nine and again at 15. The Bombers then surged ahead with an 8-2 run, fueled by service aces from
Ellie Benedict and
Karina Garcia, to take a 22-17 lead. IC closed out the set with three straight kills—one from
Gabriela Gonzalez-Abreu and two from Leadbetter.
Ithaca carried its momentum into the third set, jumping out to an early 8-3 lead that featured back-to-back service aces from
Brianna Owen. Vassar briefly closed the gap to 8-6, but the Bombers responded with a decisive 8-1 run, highlighted by kills from Owen,
Ella Graper,
Naomi Clauhs, and a service ace from
Gabriela Gonzalez-Abreu. Two consecutive kills from Clauhs extended Ithaca's lead to 21-15, and Gonzalez-Abreu sealed the sweep with a final kill at the net.
Both Clauhs and
Gabriela Gonzalez-Abreu led the offensive charge with 14 kills apiece while Leadbetter added 13 more.
Wesley Slavin added an impressive 47 assists with six assists. Gonzalez-Abreu had a double-double also notching a season-high 18 digs.
Next up, the Bombers will look to continue rolling through Liberty League action with a road matchup on Saturday against Union slated for 2 p.m.
