The stands were packed with Bombers’ fans on Oct. 7, cheering on the Ithaca College volleyball team in its senior day matchup against Skidmore College. It was an intense game, but the Bombers were victorious, winning three out of the four sets.
The first set was a strong one for the Bombers. Junior outside hitter Faith Sabatier and sophomore setter Maddie Cox played two big roles in the set. Sabatier had six kills, all of which were assisted by Cox. Cox also helped Sabatier score another three kills in the second set.
The Bombers won the first set 25–12 and the second one 25–8. The South Hill squad was dominant within these two sets and put in immense effort. The Thoroughbreds’ offense was no match for the Bombers’ defense.
The third set was when things started to get somewhat sloppy for the Bombers. The Bombers were winning 15–10 by the middle of the set, then started losing track of the ball. The Thoroughbreds ended up moving ahead of the Bombers until they gained their confidence back.
A player who played a huge part in helping the Bombers compete in the set was senior right side Jamie Koopman. Koopman racked up five points in spikes to help her team catch up to the Thoroughbreds. Despite Koopman’s effort, the Thoroughbreds won the third set 25–22, which was their first of the game.
Screaming fans and supportive teammates on their senior day was all the Bombers needed to bring home the win. The fourth set was definitely a good one for the Bombers. Morale was high and so was the energy, and we saw tough defense between Koopman and first-year outside hitter Gabriela Gonzalez-Abreu.
“I am glad we played Skidmore because they were a team that could challenge us in ways other teams couldn’t,” Koopman said. “Today I think we just played with our team and enjoyed each other’s presence.”
With it being a victorious Senior Day, head coach Johan Dulfer had only good things to say about his team and the seniors.
“There was a little bit of a momentum swing after the second set. We always say we can be very good if we are all focused and play 100%,” Dulfer said. “I thought it was a very good game for them [the seniors]. It is nice to get a win for them today, I thought they played very well.”
The Bombers will next face off with the Rochester Institute of Technology Tigers at 4 p.m. Oct. 13 in Rochester, NY.
