ITHACA, N.Y. – Ithaca bounced back after losing the opening set and the host Bombers defeated Cortland in four sets, 26-28, 25-16, 25-13, 25-11, in a non-league match.

Cortland had its 12-match win streak snapped with the loss and is now 15-4 on the season. Ithaca, which has been nationally ranked most of the season and is currently among the "others receiving votes" in the latest Division III national poll, improved to 8-5. The Bombers were an NCAA semifinalist in 2017 and a quarterfinalist last year.

Hannah Southcott (Princeton, WV) led Cortland with eight kills and added eight digs. Nadia Moore (Durham, NC/Durham School of the Arts) had six kills, Maya Owens (Nyack) finished with four kills, and Nicole Van Pelt (Montgomery/Valley Central) had three kills and a team-high four blocks.

Malley Bowen (Tioga/Tioga Central) registered three kills in four attempts and also had nine digs and 10 assists. Carly Haegele (Commack) and Kiersten Cote (East Rockaway/Kellenberg Memorial) shared the team lead with 13 digs apiece, with Haegele also serving two aces.

Reagan Stone paced Ithaca with 23 kills, while Camryn O'Leary and Sarah Jennison had 14 kills each. Caitlyn Floyd dished out 59 assists and Jordyn Lyn Hayashi led the Bombers with 29 digs.

Southcott had five kills and Owens had three in Cortland's opening-set win. Cortland led 22-18 before Ithaca scored three straight, but the Red Dragons took a 24-22 lead shortly thereafter on a Southcott kill. Ithaca used kills by Jennison and Stone to tie the set, and the Bombers took a 25-24 lead on a Cortland error. Ithaca's ensuing serve, however, went out of bounds, and the teams traded points to put the score at 26-26. Cortland won the set after a kill by Moore and an Ithaca attack error.

Cortland fell behind 5-1 and 7-2 to start the second set but fought back to within 8-6. Ithaca, however, went on a 9-1 run to take control at 17-7. The Red Dragons were within 13-10 in the third set after a kill by Moore but Ithaca rattled off six straight points, including two Floyd aces and kills by Jennison and Stone, to go ahead 19-10. The Bombers grabbed a 6-0 lead to start the fourth set and later used a 5-0 run to extend a 12-7 lead to 17-7. Cortland scored two in a row before Ithaca basically put the set away with a 6-0 run that featured two three kills by Stone and two Grace Isaksen aces.

Cortland will compete this weekend at the Gallaudet University Worthington Classic. The Red Dragons will face Marymount and Gallaudet in pool play Friday and Penn St. Abington on Saturday, also in a pool match, with a final placement match Saturday afternoon against an opponent to be determined.