The Ithaca College volleyball team continued its dominance on Oct. 25 in Ben Light Gymnasium in a doubleheader against the William Smith College Herons and the William Paterson University Pioneers. The No. 10 Bombers added two victories to their 15-game win streak, increasing their overall record to 19-3. Game one against the Herons also kept the Bombers undefeated in their Liberty League matchups.
The Bombers dedicated the day to Morgan’s Message, an organization that aims to break the stigma regarding mental health in student-athletes. Each Bomber wore a turquoise hair ribbon and set up a table outside the gym with pamphlets and merchandise for sale to honor the cause.
Game One
The first game began with a 3-0 run by the Herons, forcing two errors on serve-receive. Senior middle blocker Ella Graper slipped the first Bomber point over the heads of the two blockers onto the right side line of the court.
Both teams held each other close before the Bombers began to give the Herons’ defense a run for their money. A series of smart, strategic and powerful plays at the net gave the South Hill squad its first lead of the day, 14-13. The team then took off on an 8-1 run, fueled by two service aces from graduate student libero Ellie Benedict, and five consecutive points from sophomore Brianna Owen.
The Herons started a small turn of momentum, but junior outside hitter Naomi Clauhs, the Bombers’ leader in kills, showed her dominance, taking the last three points to win the set 25-21.
The second set of the match tested the Herons’ defense even more, as the Bombers posted a .519 hitting percentage. The Herons also had struggles getting the rallies started, committing five service errors. Junior outside hitter Gabriela Gonzalez-Abreu cashed in the second set victory on an overpass ball kill, 25-17. She worked the front and back row all afternoon, recording 14 kills, 17 digs and one assist. Gonzalez-Abreu said she switched between roles in high school and has continued to improve that skill ability with the Bombers.
“It’s just a skill I’ve been building [and] working on,” Gonzalez-Abreu said. “We practice really hard in everything.”
The Herons’ energy and drive exploded in the third set, beginning on a 5-1 lead, but the Bombers and their fans responded back. They tied up the set 6-6 on a service ace by Owen.
The Bombers trailed closely throughout most of set three, and the 135 people in attendance began to light up the gym.
The Bombers and Herons fought for over a minute straight in a defensive showcase that sent the Bomber coaches, players and crowd into a frenzy, forcing the Herons to take a timeout. The rally included multiple out-of-system plays and textbook saves by the defense including Benedict, who made multiple diving saves to earn the Bombers their 17th point.
“Our strength team coach Donte Garcia has been keeping us in these long rallies,” Benedict said. “After a long rally, we’ll look at each other and be like, [it was] built by coach Garcia, because our strength program here is really good and that’s what keeps us in these.”
Unfortunately for the Bombers, it was not enough to stop the Herons from winning the third set 25-22.
The Bombers looked to take revenge in the fourth. Both defensives excelled, but the Herons applied pressure at the net with five strong blocks and the Bombers committed six attack errors that gave the Herons the fourth set win, 25-19, forcing the match into a fifth.
The final set had a similar tempo but ended with the Bombers surging. The South Hill squad claimed the first match 15-8 after a long and physical battle.
Game Two
The Bombers returned to the Ben Light Gymnasium a few hours later to face off another “William” opponent in a nonconference match.
The first set started off in a similar fashion to the earlier match, with lots of back and forth and long point streaks by the Bombers. They prevailed 25-21, punishing the Pioneers’ defense along with it.
The second set was evenly matched the entire time. The Pioneers’ front row was very clean with zero attacking errors and a hitting percentage of .516. They capitalized on the four Bomber attack errors, taking the set 25-18.
The Bombers then began to do what they do best: dominate at home. The offense heated up, earning 17 of its points on kills. They secured the third set 25-11.
In the fourth set, the Bombers took full advantage of their home crowd’s energy and Pioneers’ fatigue. On match point, the Pioneers were not quite ready to head back to New Jersey. Their defense held up strong for almost a minute, but they were fooled when a Bomber pass hit the ceiling, came down to Owen, who quickly reacted to keep it up, then flew in front of Benedict, who quickly downballed it to the back corner of the court. The fans and the sideline exploded for the match point and Benedict’s rare scoring chance as a libero.
“I don’t think I’ve hit a ball like that since junior year,” Benedict said. “So that’s fun … the energy [of the fans is] is everything for us … they give us that extra push.”
Gonzalez-Abreu, who leads the team second in kills and digs, agreed with her teammate.
“[The crowd] definitely lights a fire,” Gonzalez-Abreu said. “I love my friends [at the game]. I love seeing my parents when they come up … it’s [a] time to show them what you’ve been doing.”
The Bombers will get their next chance Oct. 29 against University of Scranton Royal Wolves to control Ben Light Gymnasium once again. With the end of the regular season nearing, the Bombers look to win a fourth straight Liberty League Championship Tournament.
