Ithaca, NY - Senior
Holland Kaplan buried her 1,000th career kill in the opening match of the day as the Vassar College Women's Volleyball team fell 16-25, 12-25, 19-25 against #9 Ithaca before rebounding with a 25-22, 25-19, 18-25, 25-22 triumph over Rochester in the nightcap.
Vassar's record on the season moves to 10-9 overall and 4-2 in Liberty League play.
#9 Ithaca 3 Vassar 0
First Set
- Vassar opened the match with a 4-2 lead behind two kills from Kaplan and a winner each from junior Erin Lovett and first year Gina O'Connell.
- The Bombers responded to take a 9-7 lead on a kill from Gabriela Gonzalez-Abreu and moved it to 14-8 on an ace from Wesley Slavin.
- VC cut the deficit to 15-11 on two kills from Kaplan and one winner from Lovett.
- An eight-point run from Ithaca, led by four aces from Amaya Parnell, expanded the lead to 24-12.
- Two aces from junior Chloe Mau helped the Brewers get within 24-16 until an error gave the Bombers the opening set win.
Second Set
- Ithaca raced out to a 9-2 lead to begin the second set following an ace from Karina Garcia.
- Vassar trimmed the deficit to 11-7 on two kills from junior Eleanor Gegen.
- The Bombers ballooned its lead to 21-8 following two aces from Addison Leadbetter and a winner each from Naomi Clauhs and Brianna Owen.
- VC got within 21-10 on an ace from first year Riley Huang but the Bombers took the set on two kills from Jayden Wiese and one each from Elena Chappell and Gonzalez-Abreu.
Third Set
- Vassar scored the first four points of the set, led by a kill from Lovett and an ace from Huang.
- Ithaca answered to go in front 11-7 following two Chappell kills.
- VC got back to within two at 11-9 on a kill from Lovett and a block from senior Francesca Medrano and sophomore Elena Feuer.
- The Ithaca lead grew to 18-14 on a Leadbetter kill until a Kaplan kill helped Vassar cut the lead to two.
- Vassar got as close as 21-18 but the Bombers used kills from Garcia and Gonzalez-Abreu to finish the sweep.
For The Brewers
- Kaplan, who reached the 1,000 kill milestone, tallied nine kills and seven digs while Lovett totaled seven kills.
- Gegen added four kills and three digs along with Medrano tallying 14 assists and six digs.
- Huang registered two aces and nine digs while first year Sophia Ierulli lifted seven digs.
For The Bombers
- Owen posted seven kills and three blocks while Chappell garnered seven kills and two blocks.
- Wiese added seven kills along with Gonzalez-Abreu posting six kills, two aces and 10 digs.
- Leadbetter recorded four kills, two aces and five total blocks while Parnell totaled 20 assists, five aces and three digs.
- Slavin added 10 assists and three digs.
Vassar 3 Rochester 1
First Set
- Vassar pulled ahead 6-3 to begin the match following two kills from Kaplan and Lovett along with an ace from Ierulli.
- Rochester gained an 8-7 lead on a kill from Emelia Cruz before VC regained the lead at 9-8.
- The Yellowjackets used three aces from Julette Azzariti and a winner each from Lydia Weeks and Cruz to go ahead 13-9.
- Vassar reeled off seven straight points, led by two Lovett kills, an ace from Medrano and a winner from Gegen, to earn a 16-13 lead.
- Consecutive Kaplan kills increased the lead to 21-18 before two kills from Myla Estes-Novar and an ace from Lily Kraemer evened the set at 21.
- VC scored four of the next five points, led by two kills from Kaplan and a winner each from O'Connell and Gegen, to take the opening set.
Second Set
- VC pulled ahead 7-4 in the second set as Kaplan notched two kills along with a winner each from O'Connell and Gegen.
- Rochester went ahead 8-7 on a kill from Nover-Estes until a four-point run, capped by an ace from Medrano, to regain a 11-8 lead.
- The Yellowjackets pulled back ahead 16-14 on kills from Ellen Porter and Emily Dienger.
- The Brewers collected seven straight points, led by two kills apiece from Kaplan, Gegen and O'Connell, to earn a 21-16 advantage.
- Weeks' service ace got Rochester within 22-19 before a kill from Feuer and a Medrano ace clinched the second set for Vassar.
Third Set
- Vassar raced out to a 9-3 lead following three Kaplan kills and an ace from Huang.
- Rochester battled back to within 9-8 on an ace from Iliana Balaskas and took a 14-12 lead on a winner from Nover-Estes.
- Vassar got within 18-16 on two kills from O'Connell until UR expanded the lead to 22-16 on an ace from Emma McCrann.
- VC got as close as 23-18 on a Lovett kill but the Yellowjackets pushed the match to a fourth set with a 25-18 set win.
Fourth Set
- The set opened back-and-forth until Rochester pulled ahead 8-6 on a kill from Nover-Estes.
- Rochester's lead expanded to 13-8 behind a kill each from Nover-Estes and Paige Stephenson and an ace from Azzariti.
- Following the Yellowjacks pulling ahead 17-11 on a block from Porter and Cruz, VC battled back to within 17-15 on back-to-back blocks from Medrano and O'Connell.
- A five-point run, led by a kill each from Gegen and O'Connell and a block from Feuer, pushed the Brewers in front 20-18.
- UR got back within 23-22 on a kill from Nover-Estes but a kill from Kaplan and a block from Lovett and O'Connell clinched the four-set victory.
For The Brewers
- Kaplan led the way with 15 kills, a block and four digs while Gegen posted nine kills.
- O'Connell notched nine kills and four blocks along with Lovett totaling eight kills and three blocks.
- Feuer registered four kills and three blocks while Medrano tallied 33 assists, two kills, three aces, two blocks and 14 digs.
- Huang recorded 10 digs and two aces while Ierulli garnered 11 digs.
For The Yellowjackets
- Nover-Estes recorded a match-high 20 kills and four digs while Porter added seven kills and two blocks.
- Cruz totaled seven kills and two blocks along with Dienger posting four kills.
- Claire Feczko chipped in four kills while Kraemer added two aces and three blocks.
- Azzariti finished with 14 assists, eight aces and eight digs while Balaskas added 18 assists, two aces and six digs.
Up Next
- Vassar heads to the West Coast next week for three matches beginning with  a matchup with Chapman on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. (PT).
