Hoboken, N.J.--Third-seeded Ithaca knocked off second-seeded Nazareth (25-13) in the semifinal round of the Empire 8 Championship tournament. The Bombers (23-16) won 25-16, 25-21, 21-25, 25-14 and will play host Stevens Institute of Technology at 7 p.m. for the conference title.
Senior Rachel Busch (Hoover/North Canton, Ohio) led all players with 15 kills in the match. She hit .500 in the opening set, picking up five kills in eight attempts. She hit .393 overall in the match. Sophomore Karin Edsall (Cornwall Central/Cornwall) hit .438 for the Bombers, with ten kills and just three errors in 16 attempts.
Playing in her first match since Sep. 22, freshman Stephanie Lavallato (Hunterdon/Flemington, N.J.) totaled seven kills and five digs.
Senior setter Corinna Doctor (Skaneateles/Skaneateles) picked up 38 assists in the win. She also tallied a pair of service aces, leaving her two shy of Ithaca’s all-time record. Doctor also had a team-leading 16 digs.
The Bombers did not allow a single Nazareth player to accumulate more than seven kills, and held the Golden Flyers to a .047 attack percentage.
Fans can follow the championship match through Live Stats or on a webcast through Empire 8 TV.
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