Vassar Volleyball Pushes #20 Ithaca to Four Sets

By Steven Merritt

ITHACA – The Vassar College Women’s Volleyball team pushed the #20 Ithaca Bombers to four sets on Saturday afternoon as the Brewers fell 11-25, 13-25, 25-22, 15-25 on the road. The Brewers record moves to 2-12 overall and 0-3 in conference play while the Bombers improve to 14-3 and 4-0 in Liberty League action.

First Set
Ithaca raced out to a 10-3 lead as Julia Costa landed two service aces along with kills from Faith Sabatier and Anaya Prince.

The lead grew to 16-5 on a back-to-back winners from Naomi Clauhs before Vassar trimmed the lead to 21-10 on a kill from senior Julia Hale.

The Bombers used kills from Prince and Gabriela Gonzalez-Abreu and a block from Prince and Wesley Slavin to take the opening set.

Second Set
Ithaca earned an 8-3 lead behind a kill and ace from Gonzalez-Abreu along with a block from Jayden Wiese and Prince.

Ellie Benedict’s ace put Ithaca ahead 14-4 before the Brewers battled back within 16-7 on a kill from sophomore Maura McAusland.

Back-to-back aces from Maddie Cox pushed Ithaca ahead 20-8 and a kill from Zoe Strachan won the second set for the Bombers.

Third Set
Vassar responded with a 6-3 lead to open the third set as sophomore Holland Kaplan tallied a kill and an ace.

Ithaca battled back to draw even at nine on a Josie Hampton winner before the Brewers regained the lead at 14-10 on winners from first year Erin Lovett and Hale.

Benedict’s ace cut the Vassar lead to one at 18-17 before Vassar increased the lead to 20-18 on a kill from senior Frannie Anthony-Brumfield.

Two kills from Lovett put the Brewers at set point until Ithaca cut the lead to 24-22 on a winner from Sabatier.

Vassar clinched the third set on an attack error from the Bombers.

Fourth Set
Ithaca rattled off the first six points after two kills from Sabatier and an ace from Hampton.

Five straight winners from Clauhs pushed the Bombers lead to 14-4.

VC got within 22-12 following an ace from junior Rebecca Gutierrez and a kill from Hale.

Slavin recorded the match-sealing kill for Ithaca.

For The Brewers
Kaplan recorded eight kills and seven digs while Hale finished with six kills and a block.

Gutierrez, Lovett and McAusland each tallied four winners and senior Morgan Miller added two kills and eight digs.

Sophomore Francesca Medrano registered a team-high 13 assists and eight digs while senior Hailey Hayes added eight assists.

Junior Ellie Kogan lifted a team-high 16 digs for Vassar.

For The Bombers
Sabatier buried a match-high 11 kills while Prince and Clauhs each recorded 10 kills.

Brianna Owen tallied six kills along with Gonzalez-Abreu finishing with five kills, three aces and nine digs.

Slavin handed out a match-high 31 assists and six digs while Cox finished with 12 assists and two aces.

Bendict lifted a match-high 18 digs and added two aces.