Ithaca Takes Two to Clinch Lycoming Tip-Off Classic Championship

Williamsport, Pa. – The Ithaca volleyball team (13-11) defeated Misericordia (7-9), 3-1 (28-26, 25-11, 18-25, 25-14), before claiming the championship match over host Lycoming (11-9), 3-2 (25-27, 25-20, 25-19, 22-25, 15-9), on day two of the Lycoming Tip-off Tournament.

Senior Jessica Hoeffner (Hauppauge/Hauppauge) was named tournament MVP and classmate Kate Thoene (Voorhees/High Bridge, N.J.) was named to the all-tournament team.

The Bombers opened the day with a first-set comeback against the Cougars. They went on to win the second with ease before dropping the third. A seven-point run in the fourth secured Ithaca's spot in the championship match.

Misericordia gained an early first-set advantage before the Bombers knotted the action at 10. The Cougars scored six unanswered to snap a 13-13 tie before Ithaca inched its way back. Misericordia sat on set-point with a 24-20 advantage, but junior Marissa Woodcome (Pittsford Sutherland/Pittsford) held serve and led the Bombers to a 25-24 advantage. Ithaca decided a 26-26 deadlock with a kill by Thoene and a Misericordia attacking error to take the first.

Senior Elizabeth Previte (Hunterdon Central/Flemington, N.J.), who had three aces during the match, served the Bombers to an 8-0 gap in the second. Misericordia was unable to challenge for the lead as Ithaca maintained a steady, double-digit gap to claim the second, 25-11.

Misericordia answered as it took the third set, 25-18. The Cougars never allowed Ithaca the lead as it opened on an 8-4 run which they improved upon for a 19-12 cushion. Each team tallied six down the stretch as Misericordia brought the series to 2-1.

The fourth-and-final set featured a 10-4 Ithaca run that it expanded upon for an 18-7 lead. Each team tallied seven down the stretch as Ithaca won its third, 25-14.

Thoene led the Bombers with 18 kills, while Hoeffner added 14. Senior Karin Edsall (Cornwall Central/Cornwall) dished out 39 assists. Thoene put up six blocks and Edsall posted five. Senior Chelsea Hayes (Northern Valley Regional/Haworth, N.J.) had 14 digs.

The second match proved quite competitive as the Bombers claimed their first five-set victory of the season.

Ithaca lead early in the first set, but Lycoming surged to knot the match at 10-10. The Warriors took an 18-15 advantage; however Ithaca recorded five of the next seven points to bring the set to 20-20. Ithaca went ahead by two, but Lycoming battled to take the first, 27-25.

Ithaca snapped a 15-15 tie with five consecutive and went on to take the second, 25-20.

Again in the third, the game was tied on multiple occasions. Following a 10-10 stalemate, Ithaca took a 16-12 lead en route to taking a 2-1 series advantage with a 25-19 third-set victory.

Despite a 6-0 run that opened the fourth that the Bombers added to for a 15-8 cushion, Lycoming fought to send the match to five.  The Warriors tallied eight unanswered for a 16-15 edge before taking the fourth, 25-22.

The Bombers responded in the fifth as they opened with a 4-0 streak. Lycoming managed to bring the fifth within two, 8-6, but six of the next seven points went to the Bombers. Ithaca won the match with a 15-9 fifth-set decision.

Thoene put away a career-best 23 kills against the Warriors and Hoeffner added 11 on Edsall's career-high tying 56 assists. Thoene had eight blocks for the Bombers' defense and Woodcome recorded 15 digs.

Ithaca will next host the Ithaca Invitational on Oct. 14-15.

Misericordia Box Score |  Lycoming Box Score