MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – The No. 12-ranked Ithaca College volleyball team saw its season come to a heartbreaking close Friday evening, falling to Wesleyan University in a five-set thriller.
 
Ithaca opened the match with two quick points on kills by Ella Graper and Naomi Clauhs. Wesleyan responded, settling in to build a 7-4 lead before Ithaca roared back with an extended run, including four-straight points, to take a 10-9 advantage capped by a Cardinal attacking error.
 
The Bombers kept the momentum rolling, forcing a Wesleyan timeout after back-to-back kills from Clauhs and Gabriela Gonzalez-Abreu that pushed the score to 16-13. Wesleyan answered with three straight points, but Ithaca countered with another Graper kill and a service ace to regain an 18-16 lead. Wesleyan called its final timeout, but a combined block from Gonzalez-Abreu and Addison Leadbetter extended Ithaca's lead to 20-16. The Cardinals battled to stay alive, yet back-to-back kills from Leadbetter and Clauhs brought the Bombers to set point at 24-20. They would eventually gain the 1-0 lead taking the set, 25-23.
 
Wesleyan jumped out to an 8-5 lead in the second set and extended the run, forcing Ithaca to call a timeout at 11-6 after three-straight Cardinal points. The Bombers clawed back within three thanks to Clauhs' eighth kill of the match and a Wesley Slavin ace (13-10). Ithaca then tied it up at 13-13, capping a six-point run with another ace from Slavin. Wesleyan would respond by scoring six of the next eight points to gain the 20-15 lead. The Cardinals tied it at one set apiece, taking the second set by a 25-19 score.
 
Wesleyan opened the third set with an 8-1 run, but Ithaca settled in and battled back to close the gap to 12-9 after three straight kills from Brianna Owen, Gonzalez-Abreu, and Leadbetter. The Bombers pulled within one at 15-14 on Clauhs' 14th kill of the match, but Wesleyan answered with a 3-0 run, forcing Ithaca to use its final timeout trailing 18-14. The teams traded points as Wesleyan made it 22-19 following an IC service error. IC avoided a set point following another Clauhs kill, but another service error saw Wesleyan take the set, 25-23.
 
The Bombers displayed their championship resolve in the fourth set, jumping out to a 9-4 lead behind a Gonzalez-Abreu kill and a Karina Garcia ace. Ithaca kept the momentum going as a combined block from Leadbetter and Owen, followed by a Wesleyan setting error, stretched the advantage to 12-6. Wesleyan called its final timeout after back-to-back kills from Naomi Clauhs pushed Ithaca ahead 17-12. The Cardinals responded with four unanswered points to pull within one at 17-16. The teams traded points until Wesleyan tied it at 22-22 with a 4-0 run and earned set point on an Alexa Schnell service ace. Clauhs answered once again, tying the score at 24-24 with a kill and then giving Ithaca set point with another clutch swing. Wesleyan earned another set point, but Ithaca battled back to tie it at 26-26. The Bombers finally closed out the marathon set at 30-28 on a powerful kill from Gabriela Gonzalez-Abreu, forcing a decisive fifth set.
 
Ithaca opened the fifth set with two quick points, but Wesleyan answered with six of the next seven to take a 6-3 lead and force a Bomber timeout. The Cardinals kept the momentum going with two more points, but Ithaca responded as Gonzalez-Abreu and Leadbetter delivered kills to trim the deficit to 9-7. Wesleyan held firm down the stretch and closed out the thriller, taking the decisive set 15-12.
 
Naomi Clauhs led all players on the floor putting down 27 kills while fellow junior Gabriela Gonzalez-Abreu finished with a double-double with 17 kills and 13 digs. Graduate libero Ellie Benedict finished with a match-high 28 digs.

The Bombers finished with a 27-5 overall record that included the fourth-straight season of undefeated Liberty League conference play and their fourth-straight Liberty League title.