ITHACA, N.Y. – The No. 19 nationally ranked Ithaca College volleyball team opened Liberty League play with a dominant performance, sweeping the Skidmore College Thoroughbreds in straight sets (25–10, 25–22, 25–17) on Friday evening inside Ben Light Gymnasium. With the win, the Bombers improved to 1-0 in conference play and 9-3 overall.
Ithaca came out strong in the opening set, fueled by early kills from
Naomi Clauhs and
Brianna Owen to build a 10-4 lead. A service ace from
Ellie Benedict forced a Skidmore timeout, and the Bombers continued to roll.
Wesley Slavin set up several key attacks, including a pair of kills from
Addison Leadbetter, as Ithaca cruised to a 25-10 win. The Bombers swung at a match-best .478% clip within the set, setting the tone for the rest of the evening.
Skidmore responded early in the second set, jumping out to a 6-1 lead. But the Bombers quickly regrouped behind kills from Owen, Slavin, and
Gabriela Gonzalez-Abreu to even the score at 8-8. Leadbetter then sparked a run with multiple kills, helping Ithaca pull ahead 14-10. The Thoroughbreds made a late push, but the Bombers held firm to take the set 25-22, closing it out on a
Naomi Clauhs kill at the net.
The third set mirrored the first, with Ithaca maintaining control from the start. Clauhs and Owen continued their offensive rhythm, giving the Bombers an early 8-2 advantage. Ithaca kept the pressure on and never relinquished the lead, closing out the match with a 25-17 win.
Naomi Clauhs finished with a match-high 12 kills as also finishing in double-figures was
Addison Leadbetter who added 11 along with three blocks.
Wesley Slavin notched 36 assists while
Ellie Benedict finished with 20 digs and four aces.
Ithaca returns to action Saturday at 2 p.m. when they host Clarkson University in another Liberty League matchup. The Bombers will honor former head coach Johan Dulfer in a pregame ceremony.
