HOBOKEN, N.J. (NOVEMBER 8, 2015) – The Stevens Institute of Technology women's volleyball team lost 25-15, 25-19, and 25-15 to Ithaca College in the Empire 8 Conference Championship match Sunday.
                                                                     
The Ducks, who fell to 22-12, will wait until the NCAA selection show Monday afternoon to see if they have received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Ithaca moved to 30-4 on the year and claimed the E8 automatic qualifier. Setter Kayla Gromen of the Bombers was named tournament most valuabkle player.
 
Stevens fell behind 8-2 in the first period, but were able to cut the deficit down to four points to 10-6. The Bombers used a 5-0 run to pull ahead, capped off by a Duck attack error. An unforced serving error on set point handed the period to the visitors.
 
After the Ducks went up 5-4 in set two, Ithaca scored eight of the next 10 points, capped off by an ace from Hailey Adler. Stevens chopped the gap to five thanks to a double-block from senior Annemarie Thomas and junior Mary Tobin, but that would be as close as they would come. The hosts fended off three set points thanks to a kill from sophomore Brianna Evans and a pair of aces from freshman Emily Piekarski, but a service error once again ended the set in favor of Ithaca.
 
The Ducks hung around in the third and final set, cutting the Ithaca lead to four thanks to kills from junior Christina Sciarra and Tobin. But a 4-0 spurt by the Bombers brought up match point, and an Amanda Cerruti kill sent the visitors home with the title.
 
Scairra led the way with nine kills, while Piekarski had a pair of service aces. Thomas and Tobin had a pair of blocks for the Ducks, with senior Catie Shelton handing out 20 assists.
 
Gromen handed out 25 assists, while Joelle Goldstein led the Bombers with 11 kills, two service aces and nine digs.
 
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