ITHACA BOMBERS VOLLEYBALL Record Book - Ithaca College ...
ITHACA BOMBERS VOLLEYBALL Record Book - Ithaca College ...
ITHACA BOMBERS VOLLEYBALL Record Book - Ithaca College ...
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<strong>ITHACA</strong> <strong>BOMBERS</strong> <strong>VOLLEYBALL</strong><br />
Eleven invitations to the NCAA Division III playoffs<br />
since 1993 have helped solidify <strong>Ithaca</strong>’s standing as<br />
one of the most successful in the nation, but the program’s<br />
highlights extend back much further. Since volleyball<br />
became a varsity sport in 1968, the team has posted a<br />
winning record in 34 of 39 seasons. The Bombers have<br />
recorded an overall mark of 1,040-425-4 (.710).<br />
The last 11 NCAA playoff appearances have come<br />
under current head coach Janet Donovan. Hired in 1992,<br />
Donovan helped the Bombers to back-to-back 37-13 records<br />
her first two years. <strong>Ithaca</strong> won its second straight Eastern<br />
<strong>College</strong> Athletic Conference (ECAC) championship in<br />
1992, led by Laurie Roberts, who set a school record with<br />
3,774 career assists. In 1993 the Bombers advanced to the<br />
NCAA tournament.<br />
The 1994 team finished 53-4, setting a school record<br />
for wins, and made the program’s first trip to the NCAA<br />
Division III semifinals. The Bombers hosted the event in<br />
Ben Light Gymnasium. Tracy Swyers finished her career<br />
as the Bombers’ career leader in kills (1,659), while Lisa<br />
Black set the career digs record (1,644). All-American<br />
Melissa Kryz had a school-record 549 total blocks. Sindie<br />
Shollenberger set a record with 278 career service aces.<br />
Swyers was named a first-team all-American, and Black<br />
and Kryz picked up second-team all-American honors.<br />
Bonnie McDowell, a first-team all-American in 1995,<br />
posted a school-record 614 kills and led the Bombers<br />
back to the national semifinals, where they finished<br />
fourth, ending the year with a 41-4 record. Teammate<br />
Heidi Nichols was named to the 1995 all-America second<br />
team. The following year <strong>Ithaca</strong> stretched its streak to<br />
four consecutive appearances in the NCAA playoffs and<br />
reached the 20-win level for the seventh straight year.<br />
Nichols again received all-America honors as a first-team<br />
selection.<br />
The 1997 team went 32-6 and reached the<br />
championship match of the New York regional. Nichols<br />
became the program’s first volleyball athlete to be named<br />
a first-team all-American two years in a row and to receive<br />
three consecutive appointments to the all-America team.<br />
She was also named a second-team academic all-American<br />
and set <strong>Ithaca</strong> records for career kills (1,855) and blocks<br />
(671). Nichols, also an all-American high jumper with<br />
<strong>Ithaca</strong>’s track and field team, earned the NCAA’s Woman<br />
of the Year award for the state of New York—an honor<br />
encompassing Division I, II and III athletes.<br />
In 1998 the Bombers advanced to the NCAA regional<br />
championship match for the fourth time in five years.<br />
Eleven of their losses came to NCAA regional-qualifying<br />
teams. Freshman setter Jen Salmon was voted to the<br />
American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) allregion<br />
team. The next season the team recorded another<br />
30 wins and captured the regional title, defeating Cortland,<br />
3-2, in the regional championship match. In 1999 Salmon,<br />
along with teammates Robin Dalton, Rebecca Helmetsie<br />
and Jessica Raymond, were voted to AVCA all-region team.<br />
Program History<br />
AVCA ALL-AMERICANS<br />
Year Name Pos. Honor<br />
1983 Rhonda Faunce MH AVCA Honorable Mention<br />
1984 Rhonda Faunce MH AVCA Honorable Mention<br />
1994 Lisa Black OH AVCA Second Team<br />
Melissa Kryz MH AVCA Second Team<br />
Tracy Swyers OH Asics First Team<br />
AVCA First Team<br />
1995 Bonnie McDowell OH Asics First Team<br />
AVCA First Team<br />
Heidi Nichols MH AVCA Second Team<br />
1996 Heidi Nichols MH Asics First Team<br />
AVCA First Team<br />
1997 Heidi Nichols MH Asics First Team<br />
AVCA First Team<br />
2002 Jessica Raymond MH AVCA First Team<br />
2003 Janet Hammond OH AVCA Honorable Mention<br />
Julie Roth OH AVCA Second Team<br />
2004 Julie Roth OH AVCA Third Team<br />
Katie Hause OH AVCA Honorable Mention<br />
2005 Andrea Blitz MH AVCA Honorable Mention<br />
Jen Cramer MH AVCA Honorable Mention<br />
Amanda Hubbard OH AVCA Honorable Mention<br />
2006 Amanda Hubbard OH AVCA Honorable Mention<br />
2007 Amanda Hubbard OH AVCA Honorable Mention<br />
* AVCA = American Volleyball Coaches Association<br />
ACADEMIC HONORS<br />
1993 Lisa Black First-Team District I All-Academic<br />
Third-Team Academic All-American<br />
1994 Lisa Black First-Team District I All-Academic<br />
Second-Team Academic All-American<br />
1994 Tracy Swyers First-Team District I All-Academic<br />
Third-Team Academic All-American<br />
1996 Jill Finochio Second-Team District I All-Academic<br />
Teresa Lemery First-Team District I All-Academic<br />
Second-Team Academic All-American<br />
Heidi Nichols First-Team District I All-Academic<br />
1997 Heidi Nichols First-Team District I All-Academic<br />
Second-Team Academic All-American<br />
2000 Stephanie Raefski First-Team District I All-Academic<br />
2003 Andrea Blitz Third-Team District I All-Academic<br />
2004 Andrea Blitz Third-Team District I All-Academic<br />
2005 Andrea Blitz First-Team District I All-Academic<br />
2006 Katie Hause Second-Team District I All-Academic<br />
Mary Schaefer Second-Team District I All-Academic<br />
3 bombers.ithaca.edu