The Ithaca College volleyball team won its sixth game in a row Oct. 28, taking down the University of Scranton Royals in its final regular-season home game, completing a victorious weekend after defeating Clarkson University on Oct. 27.
Riding high from its own commanding victory over Clarkson an hour beforehand, the Royals stole the first set from the Bombers 25–20, fueled by four kills from senior outside hitter Stephanie Margolies.
After dropping the first set, the Bombers found another gear in the second set, dominating the court to the tune of a 25–12 score. The Bombers won a crucial rally midway through the second to swing momentum irreversibly in their favor.
The third set was highlighted by first-year outside hitter Gabriela Gonzalez-Abreu recording five of her game-leading 15 points. The Bombers continued to capitalize on its momentum, taking the set 25–18.
The fourth and final set saw plenty of fight from the Royals, who got out to a 19–13 lead, but the Bombers quickly scored the next six to even the score. After trading a few more blows, the Bombers finally came out on top 25–23 to end both the set and the match. Winning weekends like these are invaluable to a team, especially this late in the season, according to junior outside hitter and team captain Faith Sabatier.
“It feels great, especially since we’re deep in the season,” Sabatier said. “It just shows that we can battle through adversity and that we’re still the same team we were at the start of the season, if not better, this deep into the season, which a lot of teams can’t do.”
First-year outside hitter Naomi Clauhs, who shined with 14 points, agrees with Sabatier and said that the team’s chemistry is a major reason for their performance.
“From the bench to the court, everyone’s always trying to help each other and keep each other poised when we’re out there,” Clauhs said.
With the Liberty League regular season title in hand, the next time the Bombers play in front of their home crowd will be in the Liberty League playoffs, which debut on Nov. 7. Junior defensive specialist Peyton Miller said she likes their chances at repeating as champions.
“We’re ready to win another title,” Miller said. “We’ve been working towards that, and I feel like we’re at the level that we need to be to be [in the championship], so we don’t really need to work on anything different.”
Before the Bombers see a postseason opponent, the South Hill squad have an opportunity to tune themselves up in the Wid Guisler Invitational next weekend. The Bombers will next take the court at 4:30 p.m. Nov. 3 in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania to take on the St. John Fisher University Cardinals.
