ITHACA, NY - The fourth-seeded Vassar College Women's Volleyball team battled with top-seeded #22 Ithaca in the Liberty League Championship semifinals, falling to the Bombers 11-25, 26-24, 16-25, 15-25 on Friday afternoon. Vassar's season concludes at 17-10 overall while the Bombers advance to the championship match against second-seeded William Smith on Saturday afternoon.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• FIRST SET
  • First year Maura McAusland buried three early kills to tie the set at three before a kill from Gabriela Gonzalez-Abreu pushed the Bombers ahead 6-4.
  • Following a Vassar point to cut the lead to 9-6, the Bombers ratlled off four straight before a kill from junior Julia Hale slowed the run.
  • Ithaca's lead grew to 20-8 following blocks from Jamie Koopman, Faith Sabatier and Ella Graper as the Bombers took the first set 25-11 on a winner from Koopman.
• SECOND SET
  • Vassar responded with an early 5-1 lead as sophomore Ellie Kogan and first year T Petro each landed an ace and McAusland buried a winner.
  • The Brewers expanded its advantage to 8-3 as sophomore Melia Voss tallied an ace along with a kill from sophomore Molly Delahunty to force an Ithaca timeout.
  • Ithaca drew within one at 11-10 following three kills from Naomi Clauhs and a kill each from Sammie Klemm and Sabatier.
  • After the set being tied at 12 all, Vassar scored six straight, including three aces from first year Holland Kaplan.
  • Ithaca fought all the way back to tie the set at 24 after kills from Clauhs and Graper before Vassar took advantage of two Ithaca errors to earn the second set win.
• THIRD SET
  • The Bombers raced out to a 6-1 lead following two kills from Gonzalez-Abreu and winners from Graper, Koopman and Sabatier.
  • Vassar drew within 13-11 on a winner from Hale before Ithaca increased its lead to 20-13 following a kill from Maddie Cox.
  • Kaplan's kill cut the Ithaca lead down to 20-15 until the Bombers scored five of the final six points to take the set.
• FOURTH SET
  • Ithaca tallied a 9-4 lead on two kills from Koopman and a winner each from Sabatier and Clauhs.
  • A solo block from junior Frannie Anthony-Brumfield helped Vassar trim the lead down to 13-9.
  • The Bombers lead grew to 23-13 on three kills from Graper and Ithaca clinched the match victory at 25-15.

FOR THE BREWERS

• McAusland led Vassar with 16 kills and four digs while Kaplan added nine kills, three aces and three digs.
• Delahunty scored three winners while Hale and Anthony-Brumfield each tallied two winners.
• Voss handed out a team-high 24 assists and lifted four digs.
• Petro recorded a match-high 14 digs and registered two service aces.

FOR THE BOMBERS

• Gonzalez-Abreu and Clauhs each buried 13 kills while Koopman recorded nine kills and six blocks.
• Graper buried eight winners and recorded seven blocks along with Sabatier tallying seven kills and four blocks.
• Cox handed out a match-high 39 assists and lifted 11 digs.
• Peyton Miller added a match-high 14 digs along with Julia Costa and Ellie Benedict tallying 10 digs each.