Bombers Improve Home Win Streak to 14 Matches, Pick up Pair of Victories
ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Ithaca volleyball team (3-3) improved its home win streak, that dates back to 2009, to 14 matches with a 3-0 (25-11, 25-19, 25-22) sweep of Rutgers-Newark (1-5) and a 3-1 (18-25, 25-16, 25-19, 25-15) victory over Brockport (4-4) on day one of the 2011 Bomber Invitational Friday at Ben Light Gymnasium.
Looking to defend its 2010 title, Ithaca used the strong serve of Karin Edsall (Cornwall Central/Cornwall) to improve to .500 on the season. She tallied six aces, twice tying her career-best tally with a trio in each match.
The Bombers jumped out to a 5-2 advantage against the Scarlet Raiders in its first match of the day. Ithaca used a 12-2 run in the first frame to take an 18-7 lead before scoring seven of the final 11 points of the set to take a 1-0 series lead.
Rutgers-Newark looked to bounce back as it claimed an 11-7 gap in the second game before Edsall stood serve. The senior led the Bombers on a 12-0 run to claim a commanding 20-11 cushion. The Scarlet Raiders brought the match back within five at 23-18, but Ithaca put the set away in 25-19 fashion.
The third and final period was the most competitive of the three. It was tied on four occasions before the visiting squad tallied four consecutive points for an 8-4 advantage. Ithaca answered with four of its own for another tie. The teams knotted the score five more times before the Bombers pulled away and took the match, 25-22.
Edsall recorded match- and career-highs of 20 assists and three aces for the Bombers, while sophomore Nicki Readie (Pascack Hills/Montvale, N.J.) dug out 17 times. Senior Jessica Hoeffner (Hauppauge/Hauppauge) had 11 kills and 10 digs during the straight-set showing.
In the second match of the night, Brockport rewrote an early 10-8 Ithaca advantage to claim the first 25-18. Ithaca rebounded to knot the series at 1-1 with a 25-16 second set. The Bombers capitalized on a four-point, 15-11, advantage with a 10-5 run to close out the frame.
The Blue & Gold maintained its composure to start the third with a 5-1 run and never looked back. Brockport brought the set within two at 10-8, but Ithaca remained a step ahead to earn the third-set victory.
Ithaca put the match away in the fourth-and-final game opening the stint on a 6-1 run before improving the advantage to double digits at 18-8. The Golden Eagles crept within six, 19-13, but Ithaca tallied six of the final eight points to earn a spot in the championship bracket on Saturday.
Edsall put up another trio of aces in addition to 11 digs and five blocks. Senior Chelsea Hayes (Northern Valley Regional/Haworth, N.J.) led offensive efforts with 12 kills and classmate Kate Thoene (Voorhees/High Bridge, N.J.) added nine in addition to her five blocks. Readie had a team-high 19 digs.