Ithaca to Play Williams in NCAA Tournament
OFFICIAL NCAA DIVISION III BRACKET
ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College volleyball team will travel to Clarkson University for the opening rounds of the NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship and will play Williams College in its first match on Friday, Nov. 13 at a time still to be determined. Information on match time will be posted when it becomes available.
Ithaca will be making its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2010 after winning the Empire 8 Conference Championship in straight sets over Stevens on Sunday afternoon in Hoboken, N.J.
ITHACA vs. REGIONAL FIELD: The only opponent Ithaca met in this regional was Brockport on Sept. 5 and lost in straight sets.
The remaining region breaks down as follows: No. 19 Clarkson (27-8) vs. Colby-Sawyer (12-14), Brockport (33-1) vs. Framingham State (25-8), Springfield (29-3) vs. Mt. St. Vincent (17-13)
Match times will be added later.
ITHACA vs. 2015 NCAA PLAYOFF FIELD: The Bombers are 1-1 against the 2015 field, with their win coming against Babson in three sets on Oct. 17.
ITHACA IN THE NCAA PLAYOFFS: The Bombers will be making their 18th appearance in the NCAA Tournament, and the 13th trip under head coach
Janet Donovan. Ithaca is 18-19 overall in the tournament, with its last winning coming back in 2005 over New Jersey City. The Bombers reached the regional finals seven times in the eight years between 1994 and 2001, and advanced to the national semifinals in 1994 and 1995, hosting the 1994 semifinals and championship.
THE 2015 PLAYOFFS: The Field of 64 is broken into eight different regions consisting of eight teams. The regional rounds will be played from Nov. 13 to Nov. 15. The advancing team from each region will then play in the quarterfinals on Nov. 19 for a trip to the semifinals on the 20th. The 2015 national champion will be crowned on Nov. 21 at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich.
ITHACA LEADERS: Ithaca will be led into the championship by a group of young, but extremely talented student-athletes. Sophomore
Kayla Gromen, the Empire 8 Championship's Most Valuable Player will control the offense and Ithaca's primary setter. Gromen has handed out 1,163 assists on the season with 279 digs and 60 service aces. Classmate
Joelle Goldstein leads the team in points and kills with 402.5 and 346 on a .260 hitting percentage. Freshman
Katie Evans, the Empire 8 Rookie of the Year, ranks among the top hitters in the nation, swinging at a .366 clip with 279 kills on 568 attempts. Freshmen
Hailey Adler and
Amanda Cerruti have combined for 384 kills on the season, while Adler had added 264 digs and Cerruti paces the Bombers with 108 total blocks. Senior
Dylan Gawinski-Stern serves as the team's libero and has notched 473 digs on the season.
The Bombers will also rely on sophomores
Caroline Gerulskis and
Marlee Wierda for significant contributions. Gerulskis has accounted for 182.5 points, while Wierda has tallied 166 digs and 25 aces. Freshman
Kyle Dandrea is one of seven Bombers to have reached over 100 kills on the season, and has 118 to her credit. Junior
Breanne Tuohy has chipped in 73.5 points on the year, while sophomore
Izabella Mocarski fills in as a defensive and serving specialist – 33 digs and 12 aces.