ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. – The Bard College women's volleyball team had a tough match against the #12 Ithaca College Bombers and showcased a strong effort against the NJCU Gothic Knights on Saturday. 

Bard rose to the occasion and caught Ithaca off guard in the first set, racing out to a 4-1 lead. Annika Flittie and Becca Wintjen recorded kills during this run. Ithaca responded with a 16-0 run. At 18-5, the Raptors took back-to-back points, followed by a 3-0 Bomber run. The next two points went to the Raptors as Ella Small hit an ace past Ithaca's back line. However, the Bombers took the last four points to win the set. 

In the second frame, Ithaca notched 14 kills in the set and hit .440, both match-highs. Bard responded from a 0-4 deficit and got within two after Flittie recorded a kill and won the next point on her serve. A 10-2 Bomber run separated Ithaca from Bard, and a late 3-2 Bard run at 19-7 was not enough. The early part of the third set was relatively even, with Bard getting within one at 1-2 and 3-4. Ithaca went on a 15-1 run to make it 21-5. The Raptors made a late push, going on a 4-2 run, but Ithaca needed just one match point to keep their winning streak alive.

Flittie led Bard with four kills, while Becca Wintjen and Paola De La Cruz added two apiece. Xenia Vassou and Fernanda Julian each contributed one kill to round out the attack. Small had the team lead in digs, with five, and she added a team-high two aces. Wintjen and Flittie each had four digs, while Julian and Ninni Ylenius had three.

Against NJCU, the Raptors took a close first set on the back of 14 kills. A crucial moment came at 9-5 Gothic Knights, when Bard went on an 11-2 run. The Raptors weathered a 5-1 response from NJCU that made it 17-16, just a one-point Bard lead. Flittie and Vassou got kills while Beer and Ylenius served aces during a 4-1 run that allowed the Raptors to create some separation at 21-17. NJCU trimmed the lead to one again at 22-21, but Bard held off the late run to take the set by three points. 

The Gothic Knights' aggressive approach in the second set produced 17 kills but also led to nine errors. Bard opted to stay steady, limiting their attacking errors and hitting .185 to NJCU's .170. However, at 20-20, NJCU's last push took them over the top, leading to a 1-1 set score. Bard was solid from the floor again in the third frame, hitting just three errors. However, the Gothic Knights were on fire, hitting 14 kills and recording a .423 hitting percentage. At 14-9 NJCU, the Gothic Knights held off the Raptors' 4-1 run and maintained a comfortable lead the remainder of the set.

The final set looked like it could go either way. Bard won seven of the first ten points in the set, as Carmen Merrick, De La Cruz, and Vassou recorded kills for the Raptors. NJCU went on a 4-0 run to tie it at 7-7. The two teams split the next 12 points, resulting in a tie score at 13-13. The Gothic Knights chiseled out a three-point lead after a 5-2 run that made it 18-15. Bard got within one again after an ace from Beer made it 20-19. NJCU won the set by the narrowest of margins after taking five of the final nine points. 

Flittie recorded a double-double, tallying 13 kills, 11 digs, and a block. Merrick had a standout performance, notching a season-high 11 kills plus two digs and a block. Julian played well and had a double-double in assists (27) and digs (13), as well as chipping in a kill and a block. Vassou added six kills, two digs, and an ace in the effort. Wintjen contributed in multiple categories, with ten digs, five assists, four aces, and three kills. Small tallied ten digs, marking her 16th match of the season with a double-digit total.

Bard will recognize its seniors on Monday at 7 p.m., when they host Delhi.