Score: Ithaca College 3 – Elmira College 1 [20-25, 25-23, 25-20, 25-15]
Record: Ithaca (8-1, 2-0 E8); Elmira (5-1, 0-1 E8)
Location: Speidel Gymnasium – Elmira, NY
 
Elmira, NY -- The Elmira College women's volleyball team looked to push their win streak to six matches in tonight's Empire 8 Conference opening contest against visiting Ithaca College.  Unfortunately for the Soaring Eagles, hopes of a sixth straight win was unrealized, as the Bombers claimed a 3-1 victory [20-25, 25-23, 25-20, 25-15]. 
 
Elmira opened today's match on fire, winning the opening set 25-20 thanks to a .250 team-hitting percentage.  Fueling the EC attack in the set was rookie Natalie Schieder '19 and fourth-year talent Ashley Heiman '16, who combined for nine kills. 
 
The Soaring Eagles kept things rolling in the second set, as the Elmira women jumped out to a 19-10 lead.  Unfortunately, the Bombers would claw all the way back and take the set at 25-23. After evening the match at 1-1, all the momentum was on Ithaca's side, as the Bombers would go on to win the next two sets and eventually claim the match, 3-1. 
 
Turning Point
Elmira held a hefty lead in the second set and could have easily gone up 2-sets-to-0 but Ithaca would win 15 of the next 19 points to steal the set away from the Soaring Eagles.  A big part of Elmira's success in the first set, and most of the second, was their ability to put balls away.  However, from the second set on, Elmira's hitting percentage dropped dramatically from .250 in the first to -.036 in the fourth.
 
Individual Leaders

• Schieder once again paced Elmira's offense with a match-high 17 kills and four aces.
• Taylor Kaznowski '19 produced a team-leading 18 assists.
• Amanda Blinkinsop '16 led the Soaring Eagles with 12 digs.
• Kelsey Ray '17 registered a match-high six blocks, including five assisted and one solo.
• Joelle Goldstein was Ithaca's kill-leader with 14.
• Kayla Gromen set up the Ithaca attack, assisting on 42 IC kills.
• Dylan Gawinski-Stern logged a match-high 20 digs for the Bombers.

 
Inside the Box Score

• As a team, Elmira hit a season-low .104 from the floor.
• After starting the match with a .250 hitting percentage, Elmira's numbers declined in each of the following sets.
• Ithaca's sideout percentage increased as the match progressed, including a staggering 69 percent success rate in the third set.
• Schieder still managed to hit .350 on the night on a 17-3-40 stat line.
• Kaznowski and Sami Hanes '16 both finished with double-digit assists, 18 and 10, respectively.
• Newcomer Kelsey Ray produced a season-high six blocks, including five assisted blocks.
• Elmira saw four players with double-digit digs, including Blinkinsop, Hanes, Kaznowski, and Kelsey Ross '16.

 
News and Notes

• Tonight's result marks the first time EC has lost a match after winning the first set since last year's five-setter against Ithaca on the road.
• Schieder has strung together five consecutive matches with 10 or more kills.
• Schieder's 17 kills are a season-high.
• Kaznowski's 18 assist and 10 dig night marks the third time this season she has produced a double-double.
• Ithaca is now 18-6 against Elmira since 2001 and has won the two most recent matches.
• The last time Elmira dropped a home game, the Soaring Eagles won their next three matches.

 
Up Next
Elmira will look to bounce back from today's defeat this Saturday, September 19th, when the Soaring Eagles travel to compete in the New Rochelle Tri-Match. EC opens play on Saturday against New Rochelle at 11:00 a.m. and concludes the weekend's action against Plattsburgh State at 1:00 p.m.