The Middlebury volleyball team fell 3-0 during its season-opening match to #21 Ithaca on Friday evening. The contest marked the first for the Panthers of the two-day Bomber Invitational. 
 
HIGHLIGHTS

• Clinging to a 10-9 edge in the initial set, the hosts went on a 6-2 run to take a 16-11 edge before Middlebury rattled off the next five points to level the score (16-16) on a kill from Lillian Caldwell.
• Ithaca put together a 4-1 spurt, securing a 20-17 lead on a kill from Naomi Clauhs. 
• The Panthers slowly cut the deficit to one (21-20) on a kill from Caldwell, but the Bombers tallied the final four points of the stanza to take the opening set, 25-20.
• In the second set, the hosts raced to an 8-3 advantage, including three kills from Faith Sabatier and a pair from Gabriela Gonzalez-Abreu.
• The Panthers battled back to knot the frame at 10 apiece on a service ace from Gabby Pribisich. 
• The sides traded points before Middlebury grabbed an 18-16 edge on a Bomber attack error.
• Ithaca concluded the set by recording nine of the final 10 points to earn a 25-19 set triumph and 2-0 advantage.
• The third set saw the Bombers scurry out to a 9-3 edge before Middlebury pulled to within four (10-6) on a kill by Pribisich.
• Ithaca tallied seven of the next nine points and was never challenged to earn the sweep by a 25-15 score.

NOTES

• Campbell Keller finished with a career-high 14 digs.
• Gabbie O'Toole ended the match with 23 assists. She has now recorded 20 or more assists in 75 of her 76 career matches played.
• Molly Harrison posted a near double-double with a team-best nine kills and eight digs.
• The contest marked just the third meeting all-time between the programs.

Middlebury concludes the Ithaca Invitational with matches against St. John Fisher and Rochester on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., respectively.