ITHACA, N.Y. – The Utica College volleyball team lost a pair of games at the Ithaca College Invitational on Saturday.  The Pioneers dropped game one 3-0 to host Ithaca (25-16, 25-13, 25-13) before losing 3-0 in the nightcap against Carnegie Mellon (25-17, 25-18, 25-16). Utica's Laura Homer-Gunther (Sauquoit, NY/Sauquoit) collected a team-high 14 kills, four digs, three blocks and one assist over the course of both games to pace the Pioneers.

Utica's record moved to 8-15 overall on the year and the Pioneers will return home on Wednesday night, after playing their last 13 games on the road, when they host Hamilton College (7 p.m.) at the Clark Athletic Center Gymnasium. 

Utica's Alaina Wickwire (Towanda, PA/Towanda) finished the day with 15 digs, 12 kills, three assists and two blocks, while Brandi Blaszak (Marcy, NY/Whitesboro) added 10 kills, three digs and two blocks for the Pioneers.  UC's Laura Allen compiled 29 assists and 13 digs in the two game stretch, while senior Briona Enny (Queensbury, NY/Queensbury) chipped in with a team-high 26 digs. 

Ithaca improved to 17-4 on the season, as Carnegie Mellon advanced its record to 16-4. 

Homer-Gunther paced the Pioneers with seven kills against the host Bombers in game one, while Wickwire added ten digs and four kills.  Blaszak fired home five kills and Briona Enny (Queensbury, NY/Queensbury) tallied nine digs in the Pioneer loss.

In game two against Carnegie Mellon, Wickwire led the way with eight kills and she added five digs, while Home-Gunther posted seven kills and three blocks.  Allen had 21 assists against the Terriers.