The No. 22 Ithaca College volleyball team delivered a masterclass in the Liberty League Championship semifinals Nov. 15, steamrolling the Rochester Institute of Technology Tigers in three decisive sets — 25-10, 25-21, 25-16 — to keep their championship hopes alive.
The Tigers gave the Bombers a serious scare during their initial matchup Nov. 1. Although the match was a sweep, two sets went down to the wire, with the first set even going to extras, giving the impression of a competitive semifinal match.
It was not.
The Bombers ended the match with double the number of kills as the Tigers — 46–23 — to go along with three fewer attacking errors. Even more surprising, all nine Bombers that played in the match scored at least two points, courtesy of yet another match with a double-digit number of service aces for the South Hill Squad, this time tallying 11.
The Bombers shared the offensive spoils throughout the match as six different Bombers recorded at least five or more kills. Sophomore outside hitter Gabriela Gonzalez-Abreu led the team with 11 to bring her total on the season to 271, putting her at sixth in the Liberty League. In fourth with 282 is sophomore outside hitter/right side Naomi Clauhs, who tallied eight kills, tied for the second-most kills on the day with senior right side Faith Sabatier.
Even among the packed home crowd, Clauhs’ family stood out. They sat in the top row of the stands with a sign reading “Let’s Go Naomi!” ready to be held up for each of her kills.
“I know that they’re cheering for me, so having them be here always feels good,” Clauhs said. “It makes me feel like I can jump higher.”
The team’s two main middle blockers, senior Anaya Prince and junior Ella Graper, had nearly identical games. Both put up seven kills with a hitting percentage of 0.583, the latter being the most efficient mark on the team. Graper was also credited with two block assists to cap off a nine-point performance, the second highest on the team.
It was Graper’s best game since returning from an ankle sprain she sustained in mid-September, and with a leg wrapped in ice, she said that working through the pain was worth it.
“I love this team so much,” Graper said. “I love playing, and honestly, I’ll give anything to just put it out on the floor.”
