After closing out the sculling season with strong performances at the Head of the Fish Regatta in October 2022, the Ithaca College women’s rowing team went on to nail down its fifth consecutive Liberty League title May 2023. This fall, the team is looking to build the same momentum that will propel it to success once again.

The Bombers are entering the 2023 season with a young squad after graduating powerhouse rowers Allison Arndt ’23 and Devi de Oliveira ’23 — each of whom competed for the Bombers for six seasons — alongside six other senior rowers.

Head coach Becky Robinson said that although the team is bringing back some experienced rowers, graduating much of the team’s upperclassmen will allow new athletes to step into more prominent leadership roles.

“Quite a few returners have had the experience of going to an NCAA Championship and being a part of winning the Liberty League, so that’s definitely on their radar of what they want to be achieving this year,” Robinson said. “The flip side of that is we lost a lot of seniors as well as two sixth-years and a fifth-year, so there’s kind of a nervous excitement within the group because I think they’re finally feeling like they get a chance to practice leadership, take on those roles and fill those shoes.”

However, graduate student Taylor Volmrich will be returning for their fifth year with the crew, following a decorated senior season in which they were named to the Pocock All-American second team. Robinson said Volmrich’s experience with the Bombers will be valuable as they head into the new season.

“[Volmrich] would be someone who certainly will be a strong performer all fall. … They will likely end up being an All-American,” Robinson said.

Among the other returning rowers is senior captain Erin Trojan, who said her experience on the team has been incredible and that, if she had not joined the team, she would have never realized her athletic potential.

“I had never rowed before joining the team in 2021,” Trojan said. “But, being here and realizing how much you’re able to excel as an athlete in a new way that you never thought could happen has been amazing.”

Trojan — who has been rowing in the first varsity eight boat since Spring 2023 — said the team’s successes last spring set a standard that will add significant incentive for her teammates to put their all into the sculling season.

“I think it’s definitely going to be a rebuilding season,” Trojan said. “But, because we did so well in the spring, I think that’s going to motivate us to work really hard this fall so that we’ll be able to perform really well next semester.”

The squad has a history of elite performance, especially in the Liberty League. Last spring, the team nailed down its fifth consecutive conference title before placing third overall at the National Invitational Rowing Championship and earning a bronze medal at the NCAA Championship. The college ranks second among Division III teams in total NCAA appearances with 21 in 25 years, trailing only Williams College with 22.

Robinson said that although the team has exceeded some lofty goals in past seasons, it will be imperative for them to take the 2023 season one race at a time.

“Winning the Liberty League championship is where I would like to set the goal,” Robinson said. “The team is absolutely capable, but if we shoot higher than that, we might fall short. If, as a team, we talk about how difficult it’s going to be and how much we have to work for it, I actually think we’ll be faster than if we try to repeat this previous year.”

Junior rower Lily Babcock said the sculling season is the Bombers’ opportunity to navigate the technical aspects of rowing on their own before heading into the sweep season in the spring.

“In sweep, we’re all together all the time,” Babcock said. “With sculling, you’re usually by yourself or with one other teammate, so it’s a good opportunity to get in touch with your individual style and get comfortable with technique.”

Since the squad is built largely on the participation of walk-on athletes — those who were not recruited from high school — the team often gains new athletes on multiple occasions throughout the academic year. Babcock said this fall will be a good learning opportunity for the athletes on the team who have only experienced the spring.

“Our only real goal for the fall is to see constant improvement throughout the season,” Babcock said. “There’s a lot of people that have never sculled before, only swept, so seeing them improve their technique and get more comfortable in the boat will be really important this season.”

During the spring season, the team rows strictly in groups of eight and four, allowing more of a team mentality in every race. However, Robinson said that rowing on their own during the sculling season is the most valuable skill her athletes can develop.

“The goal is to get faster in the single,” Robinson said. “If they can go fast in a single, they’ve learned how to move their body weight and how to be efficient with their stroke. For us to be fast in the spring, we’re going to need that strong technical base and efficiency.”

Although Robinson emphasized the importance of consistency in training, she said she understands the intensity of playing a collegiate sport. In an effort to keep her athletes invested throughout the season, Robinson adopted a motto that her athletes have come to live by.

“It can be very overwhelming, so I actually sent out a calendar that always has the message, ‘You can start again today,’” Robinson said. “We’re gonna mess up and we’re gonna make mistakes, but we can always get back on track and we can always start again today.”

The team will open up their season Sep. 24 at the Cayuga Inlet.