Vassar College Athletics

Poughkeepsie, NY - The Vassar College Women's Volleyball team battled hard against the #17 Ithaca Bombers on Friday evening as the Brewers ultimately lost its first conference matchup 33-35, 18-25, 21-25 at home in Kenyon Hall. Vassar's record drops to 13-4 overall and 2-1 in Liberty League play while Ithaca improves to 13-3 on the season and 3-0 in conference action.

First Set

• The opening set turned into a classic marathon with Ithaca pulling ahead 8-6 early on a block from Ella Graper and Brianna Owen.
• Another block from Addison Leadbetter and Naomi Clauhs pushed the advantage for the Bombers to 15-10.
• Vassar battled back to within 20-18 on two aces from junior Francesca Medrano and a kill from junior Holland Kaplan.
• The Brewers clawed even at 24 behind three kills from Kaplan and two winners from junior Maura McAusland.
• Back-to-back winners from Kaplan and McAusland put Vassar at set point at 30-29 but a Clauhs kill evened the set at 30.
• Ithaca eventually clinched the set after an Owen winner and a VC attack error at 35-33.

Second Set

• Vassar took an early 4-2 lead on a block from sophomores Eleanor Gegen and Erin Lovett and pushed the lead to 9-7 on a McAusland kill.
• Ithaca battled back to tie the set at 14 on three kills from Leadbetter and a winner from Gabriela Gonzalez-Abreu.
• Following a kill from Kaplan to even the set at 16, Ithaca used aces from Karina Garcia and Ellie Benedict to expand its lead to 22-17.
• Two kills from Leadbetter and a winner from Gonzalez-Abreu took the second set victory for the Bombers.

Third Set

• IC raced out to an 8-3 advantage on two aces from Owen and three winners from Gonzalez-Abreu.
• Kills from Medrano and Kaplan trimmed the lead down to 12-8.
• After back-to-back kills from Clauhs to put Ithaca up 21-15, VC cut the lead down to 22-20 on kills from McAusland, Kaplan and senior Rebecca Gutierrez along with a block from Gutierrez and Medrano.
• The Bombers closed the set with three of the final four points behind kills from Gonzalez-Abreu and Owen.

For The Brewers

• Kaplan finished a strong night with 17 kills (.361) and six digs while McAusland added 17 winners and five digs.
• Gegen chipped in four kills along with Gutierrez tallying three kills and two blocks.
• Medrano recorded 36 assists, two kills, two aces and five digs while Lovett registered two kills and two blocks.
• Senior Ellie Kogan lifted a team-high 12 digs and added five assists.

For The Bombers

• Gonzalez-Abreu recorded 14 kills and a match-high 18 digs along with Clauhs registered 14 winners.
• Leadbetter finished a strong match with 13 kills, two blocks and four digs while Owen tallied eight kills, two aces, five blocks and four digs.
• Graper garnered three kills and seven blocks along with Wesley Slavin tallied a match-high 47 assists and six digs.

Up Next

• Vassar plays host to #RV William Smith at 2:00 p.m. tomorrow afternoon.
• Ithaca heads to Bard for a afternoon matchup tomorow.