Ithaca Wins Fifth Straight Match, Defeats Kean, 3-1
ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca volleyball team (14-11) claimed its fifth straight victory on Friday evening with a 3-1 (25-16, 24-26, 25-20, 25-17) win over Kean (10-17) on day one of the 2011 Ithaca Invitational.
The Bombers got off to a slow start in the first set, but snapped a 10-10 tie to win the first, 25-16. The Cougars responded to knot the series at 1-1 with a 26-24 second-set victory. Ithaca claimed the match in four winning the third, 25-20, and the fourth, 25-17.
The squads went point-for-point during much of the first game. The frame was deadlocked for the ninth time at 14-14 before the Bombers put away five consecutive as junior
Marissa Woodcome (Pittsford Sutherland/Pittsford) held serve. Kean brought the match to 19-16, but the Bombers put away six unanswered to take the first, 25-16.
The score was tight for the entire second stanza. Ithaca held an early four-point cushion as it jumped out to a 5-1 lead. Following a 6-3 Ithaca advantage, the Cougars brought the match to 7-7. The game fluctuated by no more than two points the rest of the way. Kean broke the 24-24 stalemate with back-to-back points to tie the series up, 1-1.
Ithaca took an 8-5 lead in the third, but the Cougars won five of the next six points to take a 10-9 edge. The Bombers took the next three and never again surrendered the advantage. Ithaca used a 7-2 stretch to propel to a 25-20 third-set win.
Like the first three sets, the fourth was tied several times. Ithaca pulled away from a 9-9 tie on a 7-2 run before using a 7-3 streak to polish off the match. Ithaca claimed the final frame, 25-17.
Three seniors tallied double-digit kill performances as two picked up double-doubles.
Chelsea Hayes (Northern Valley Regional/Haworth, N.J.) put away a match-best 15 kills and added 12 digs, while
Jessica Hoeffner (Hauppauge/Hauppauge) recorded 14 and 11, respectively.
Kate Thoene (Voorhees/High Bridge, N.J.) posted 10 kills and eight blocks (one solo, seven assists).
Woodcome had a match-high 16 digs, while senior
Karin Edsall (Cornwall Central/Cornwall) set for a match-best 38 assists.
The Bombers face Potsdam Saturday at 10 a.m. before taking on Fredonia in a 4 p.m. match.
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