The Ithaca College volleyball team lost 3–1 on Nov. 17 to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in the semifinals of the NCAA Division III Volleyball Championships.

The Athenas took the first set 25–23 and scored the first two points of the set. Senior outside hitter Joelle Goldstein then got a kill to put the score 2–1 for the Athenas. The score went back and forth for the first 10 points and the Bombers took the lead twice. After the Athenas scored their 10th point, they had the lead for the rest of the set.

The Blue and Gold were able to come back for set two, winning 25–23. Shelbi Stein, senior opposite hitter for the Athenas, had an attack error, allowing the Bombers to score the first point. The South Hill squad led in points the whole set.

The third and fourth sets were dominated by the Athenas, as they won 25–21 and 25–18, respectively. In the third set, the Bombers took the lead three times, but the Athenas came back when they scored six points in a row. Four of those six points came from Bomber errors. In the fourth set, the Blue and Gold took an early lead again, but allowed the Athenas to make a comeback in the middle of the set. Athena took control when the score was 19–17 for the Athenas, and scored five points to make it 24–17. The South Hill squad was only able to score one more point before the Athenas scored the final point to secure their spot in the NCAA Division III Volleyball Championship game.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps led the match in total points, kills, aces, assists and digs. The Bombers led in blocks. Reagan Stone, freshman middle hitter and outside hitter, senior outside hitter Caroline Gerulskis and Margaux Arntson, senior opposite hitter for the Athenas, led the match with 13 kills each. Isabelle Taylor, sophomore outside hitter for Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, and Phoebe Madsen, sophomore setter for the Athenas, led the match with two aces each. Goldstein, Tara Stilwell, junior libero and defensive specialist, and Athena senior setter Clara Madsen each had one ace. Junior middle hitter Amanda Cerruti led with 10 blocks and sophomore setter Caitlyn Floyd led with 42 assists. Mikena Warner, senior defensive specialist for Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, led with 17 digs and Goldstein was close behind with 16.

With the loss, the Bombers have concluded its most successful season in its 50–year program history.