Summer Hamilton totaled 13 kills as Stevens won a pair of matches on Friday. |
ITHACA, N.Y. (September 8, 2006) – Junior outside hitter Dawn Herring (Prince Frederick, Md.) collected eight kills in the first match of the evening and then added 17 kills in the nightcap as the Stevens Institute of Technology women’s volleyball team improved to 6-1 on the year with a pair of 3-1 victories during the 2006 Bomber Invitational at Ithaca College on Friday in Ithaca, N.Y. With the wins, the Ducks advanced to Saturday’s championship pool where they will meet Haverford College and New York University.
Stevens opened pool play on Friday with a 30-23, 30-12, 20-30, 30-18 victory over Clarkson University (0-7) as senior outside hitter/libero Rachel Ostroff (North Miami, Fla.) registered 15 digs and three service aces. Sophomore middle blocker Bethany Rankie (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) added five kills and four blocks, while sophomore setter/right-side Melissa Rhode (New Orleans, La.) finished with five kills and six blocks.
Sophomore middle blocker Summer Hamilton (San Diego, Calif.) and sophomore outside hitter Melanie Volk (Thompson Station, Tenn.) had five kills apiece. Senior setter Micki Biltz (Lakewood, Ohio) posted a team-high 30 assists to go along with six service aces. Sophomore middle blocker Alexa Bianchi (West Caldwell, N.J.) and sophomore outside hitter Amanda Petrocelli (Norwood, N.J.) chipped in with two kills apiece.
In the Ducks’ second match of the evening, Biltz had 35 assists in less than three games as Stevens captured a 30-24, 26-30, 30-24, 30-28 victory over Ithaca. The Ducks had to sweat out the fourth game as the Bombers moved to within 29-28 after trailing 29-23. Following a timeout by Stevens, Volk closed out the match as she took a pass from Rhode and hammered home her eight kill of the contest. Volk also had 26 digs and three blocks for the Ducks.
Herring registered 29 digs and two blocks to go along with her 17 kills. Rhode posted a triple-double with 13 kills, 18 digs and 16 assists. Sophomore middle blocker Jessica Gardner (Penfield, N.Y.) added 11 kills and nine blocks. Ostroff had 26 digs. Hamilton added eight kills, while junior right-side JoAnne Pojuner (Princeton Junction, N.Y.) chipped in with two kills, five digs and three blocks.
Ithaca is off to a slow start in 2006 as the Bombers fell to 1-5 with the loss. In 2005, Ithaca finished the year ranked No. 2 in the New York Region and advanced to the regional semifinals of the NCAA tournament. The Bombers have won two straight Empire 8 championships.
Stevens will open the championship pool with a match against Haverford on Saturday at 11 a.m. The Fords went 2-0 in pool play on Friday with a 3-2 win over SUNY Brockport and a 3-1 victory against Rochester Institute of Technology. The Ducks will also face national powerhouse NYU at 3:30 p.m. The Violets rolled through their bracket with 3-0 victories over St. John Fisher College and Widener University. NYU entered 2006 ranked No. 8 in the nation in the CSTV/AVCA Division III Coaches Poll. In 2005, the Violets ended the year ranked first in the region and No. 7 nationally. NYU and Stevens last met in the second round of the NCAA tournament in November, and the Violets earned a 3-1 victory in New York, N.Y.
