After redshirting during her first year at Binghamton, Weltz made an immediate impact for the Bearcats in her freshman season, starting in 21 of 30 games while averaging 7.6 points, 4.1 assists and 4.3 rebounds a game. She was named to the AE all-rookie team and the AE all-defensive team, averaging a conference-leading 2.5 steals per game.

Weltz played an even more significant role during her sophomore campaign. Appearing and starting in all 31 games, she improved her numbers in every major statistical category, averaging 10.7 points, 4.5 assists and a team-leading five rebounds per game. As a result of her performance on the court, she was named to the all-conference second team.

This season, Weltz’s junior year, she earned a preseason all-conference nod due to her play on the hardwood the year before. However, under first-year Binghamton head coach Mary Grimes, she saw a diminished role, starting in 23 of 30 matchups, after a season where she had never come off the bench.

Despite her new and slightly reduced role, she led the team with 9.7 points per game and was still named to the all-conference third team. In her last game as a Bearcat in the AE quarterfinals against Bryant, Weltz surprisingly came off the bench and played just 26 minutes, as BU was defeated 66-63.

With her time at Binghamton coming to a close after completing her Master of Business Administration, Weltz decided to commit to AE powerhouse Vermont for her final season of college basketball. After going 13-3 in conference play this past season, the No. 2 Catamounts defeated top-seeded Albany to win the AE title for the eighth time in program history and earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Despite putting up a fight through three quarters, Vermont was eliminated by No. 2 NC State in the round of 64.

Weltz’s departure will leave a hole difficult to fill, with her ability to play on both sides of the ball. Her absence will require sophomore guards Bella Pucci and Yanniah Boyd to take a significant leap in 2025-26 to replicate both offensive and defensive production for Binghamton.

After being greeted and seated by our host, we were warmly greeted by our waiter, Veronica, and handed a basket of succulent bread with butter and a carafe of water. What stuck out to me immediately was the ambiance, with walls completely filled with 19th-century paintings of western Europe and the music playing in the background — a promising start to our dining experience — as I felt immersed in Italy. After placing our orders, we waited eagerly for our first course to come out.

Our dining experience began with an Italian “sushi” for myself and a Manhattan clam chowder soup for Kai — the restaurant’s soup of the day. The blend of meats in the “sushi” in combination with the arugula, baby tomatoes and light drizzle of balsamic glaze, filled my entire mouth with an explosion of flavors. The meats, especially the prosciutto, tasted fresh with strong flavors hitting me all at once. Kai, on the other hand, while not the biggest fan of tomatoes, raved about the tangy, savory flavor of the hot soup, saying, “Any lover of tomatoes would love this.”

After chugging some water to cleanse our palettes, we were presented with our main courses. I opted for the rigatoni with house-made vodka sauce, while Kai selected the chicken cutlet parmigiana — free of tomato sauce. The presentation of the rigatoni was simple yet appealing, with the sauce over the pasta, topped with fresh green herbs. The taste was just as excellent as it looked, as the house-made vodka sauce was creamy, cheesy and tangy in every bite. The hint of herbs added to the fresh taste of the pasta. Kai mentioned the flavorful breading and firmness of the chicken, reminding him of his Japanese roots and one of his favorite Japanese dishes: chicken katsu. The cutlet itself was crunchy and firm, while the cheese added extra flavor and made it even more crispy. As for the noodles, they were soft and well seasoned, like any spaghetti should be. It’s safe to say that we thoroughly enjoyed our main courses.

To end things off with an ultimate bang for dessert, I opted to have a cannoli while Kai received the house-made chocolate mousse. As someone who has never had a cannoli before, I was blown away by how delicious it was. The crunchiness of the pastry in combination with the rich, sweet cream filling on top of a bed of whipped cream was amplified by the sweetness of the chocolate chips, making for an exceptional end to my dining experience. As a result, I had to share the love with Kai, giving him my other cannoli, which he also loved and devoured. In addition, with his chocolate mousse, he was provided a plentiful serving and talked about the perfect sweetness of the chocolate that was never too overwhelming — ending our lunch on a high note.

As a whole, Kai and I were lucky enough to be able to experience a piece of Italy at Little Venice for lunch this past Friday, and we implore you to give it a try as well! We’re confident that you’ll love it.

Joining BU Athletics from Hampton University just over two years ago, Marshall’s impact at BU was immediate, both on and off the field. During the initial search, his candidacy was supported by University President Harvey Stenger, America East Commissioner Brad Walker and Senior Associate Athletic Director John Hartrick.

“This is a time of great change in NCAA Division I athletics and Gene also serves as a most trusted advisor to all campus leaders as a member of the University’s Senior Officers Group,” Stenger wrote. “His expertise and diplomatic approach help us understand the shifting landscape in college athletics and how it relates to all corners of the University.”

“In his short time here, Gene has pushed Binghamton’s Athletic Department to do more, to be better and strive for excellence in all aspects of what it does,” he added.

After taking over as director in November 2022, Binghamton athletics has soared to new heights under Marshall’s leadership. The program has won the Commissioner’s Cup, which is awarded to the AE’s top athletics program, for the past two years. During his tenure, Binghamton has seen four conference championship teams — men’s tennis, women’s lacrosse, men’s swimming and diving, and women’s cross country — and three regular season champions — volleyball, women’s soccer and men’s tennis.

“Gene’s drive for success and the passion he displays for his student-athletes, coaches and staff make him an ideal candidate for this prestigious award,” Walker wrote. “In my time in college athletics, I have met few administrators who are as fierce an advocate for his or her student-athletes, coaches, and staff as Gene. That passion has helped drive his department to unparalleled success and established a culture in which everyone can thrive.”

In Marshall’s time at Binghamton, the program has generated a track and field Olympian in Emily Mackay ‘21, a Major League Baseball draft pick in Nick Roselli and a volleyball All-American in Tsvetelina Ilieva ‘24, along with 89 all-conference selections across 21 different teams.

Not only has the program seen a great deal of success on the field, but Marshall has also fostered a strong culture in the classroom with a student-athlete grade point average of 3.46 during the 2023-24 academic year, compared to the 3.25 GPA of the overall student body.

“Gene has empowered our student-athletes and coaches to talk openly about winning and to take pride in their success,” Hartrick wrote. “He has worked tirelessly and communicated that we will provide the needed resources to support our student-athletes and make their college experience a valuable and memorable one. Gene also has strengthened relationships and collaborations across campus and has boosted an appreciation and respect for the value of athletics at an academically-centered university.”

Marshall, along with the 27 other winners, will be recognized at the 60th-annual NACDA & Affiliates Convention at the World Center Marriott Resort in Orlando, Florida on Tuesday, June 10 at 4 p.m.

Recently wrapping his second year at Binghamton, Walsh, the most notable of the three, is coming off a spectacular sophomore season, averaging 11.3 points and 10.9 rebounds per game and earning a third-team America East all-conference nod. He set program records for rebounds in a game with 23 against UMass Lowell, total rebounds in a single season with 339, and most double-doubles in a season with 14. The sophomore’s rebounding made waves on the national level: He ranked seventh in total rebounds and fifth in rebounds per game.

After beginning his career at Arkansas-Little Rock, Walker has played with the Bearcats for the past two seasons. In his first season, he averaged just 5.9 points and 3.1 rebounds in 16.8 minutes per game. This season, Walker saw significantly more playing time, averaging 11.5 points in 31 minutes per game while shooting 43.8 percent from three. His most notable performance came on the road against interstate rival Le Moyne, where he dropped a career-high 30 points.

The final Bearcat who entered the portal, Ashe, averaged 5.5 points and 1.1 assists per game in his sophomore campaign. Known for his athleticism, Ashe struggled to get consistent playing time due to his inconsistency on the offensive end, making just 24.5 percent of his three-pointers in his final season at Binghamton. A 17-point explosion against eventual AE champions Bryant in February was the highlight of Ashe’s second year.

With graduate student guard Tymu Chenery and senior forward Nehemiah Benson graduating this spring, a total of six players — including four starters — are set to graduate from Binghamton.

All three players have yet to announce their commitments.

“I am really proud of our team and how we came back,” Binghamton head coach Mary Grimes told BU Bearcats. “We turned up the defensive pressure and our full court press led to some big stops and points in transition. Give [Bryant’s sophomore forward Nia Scott] credit, she just buried us all night so kudos to her. But tonight we showed the resiliency we need to build on for next year and I am super proud of our team.”

Binghamton (15-15, 7-9 AE) got off to a slow start offensively in the first quarter, shooting just 4-of-12 from the field in the period. Meanwhile, Bryant (17-14, 9-7 AE) jumped out to a 4-0 lead within the first two minutes. The Bulldogs went up as much as 10 in the period, but Pucci laid one in to cut Bryant’s lead to 16-8 at the end of one.

The Bearcats found their footing in the second quarter on both ends of the floor, holding Bryant to nine points in the quarter. The tides began to turn when Boyd drew a foul and drained both free throws, sparking a 6-0 run for BU, which cut it to 23-21. Binghamton’s strong defensive effort resulted in Bryant leading just 25-21 heading into halftime.

Bryant erupted in the third quarter, matching their first-half point total with 27 points and missing just one shot in the quarter. The Bulldogs would go up by as much as 14, but the Bearcats refused to disappear, scoring 20 points in the quarter, as Bennett scored 11 of her 19 points in the period. Ultimately, BU faced a 52-41 deficit at the end of the third.

A 10-2 run to start the fourth quarter allowed BU to cut the Bryant lead to just three at 54-51. Then, a notable sequence, which included an and-one layup from Bennett cut the Bryant lead to two before a three-pointer from Boyd at the top of the key gave Binghamton its first advantage of the game at 59-58. However, Bryant recaptured the lead with three points, courtesy of an and-one opportunity, and made 6-of-7 free throws in the final 32 seconds to secure a 66-63 win.

In head coach Mary Grimes’ first season at Binghamton, the team went 15-15 and 7-9 in conference play, ultimately failing in the quarterfinals after advancing to the semifinals just a year ago. The Bearcats end their season with three individual accolades with redshirt junior guard Jadyn Weltz and Pucci both being selected to the all-conference third team. Pucci also earned a spot on the all-defensive team, finishing fifth in the conference with 1.7 steals per game.

“I thought that overall we started slow and put ourselves in a hole early in matches,” wrote Binghamton head coach Kyle Borshoff. “We dominated the third period in most matchups but didn’t have enough time to catch up on the scoreboard.”

The Bearcats (10-9, 5-3 EIWA) got off to a slow start in their dual meet at Army (8-3, 5-2 EIWA), dropping all three bouts in narrow-decision losses as they trailed 9-0. In the 125-pound bout, sophomore Carson Wagner went down 8-6, while graduate student Micah Roes and redshirt junior Nate Lucier lost 5-4 in the 133-pound and 4-2 in the 141-pound bouts, respectively. A 7-2 loss in the 149-pound bout from redshirt freshman Caleb Sweet in his first dual since early January saw BU’s deficit grow to 12-0. In the 157-pound bout, trailing 2-0 with under a minute to go, Nadeau earned both an escape and a takedown for the 4-3 victory despite his opponent’s extra point off riding time.

“[Nadeau] did an excellent job of keeping the match close enough to make pace matter,” Borshoff wrote. “And [he] was able to get a late takedown for the win.”

After Nadeau’s victory saw BU earn its first points, a 5-2 loss in the 165-pound bout from junior Carter Baer saw the Bearcats trail Army 15-3. Capping off his dominant final regular season, Cassella earned a 3-1 win in the 174-pound bout over his No. 30 ranked opponent. With his victory, Cassella moved to 22 wins and 14 dual victories on the season, leading the Bearcats in both categories this season. BU’s woes continued as junior Will Ebert suffered a 3-1 loss in his 184-pound bout and a loss via pin in the 197-pound bout from junior Cayden Bevis.

The Bearcats had to forfeit their final dual, the 285-pound bout, as Army completed its 30-6 rout of the Bearcats.

“Cassella did a great job today closing out his dual meet career and I’m proud of the way he continues to represent the program,” Borshoff wrote.

The Bearcats finished the 2024-25 regular season with a 10-9 dual record, along with a 5-3 EIWA dual record, which was good for second place in the EIWA’s independence division. After a notably difficult schedule for the EIWA, Borshoff feels confident that the team’s experience will set them up for success as they prepare for the EIWA and NCAA playoffs in March.

“We’ve wrestled many of the best teams and individuals in the country all season long, so we are prepared to compete with and beat the best guys in the country,” Borshoff said. “We need to work on our match management and pacing over the next two weeks, as long as we can improve those things we will have a great EIWA tournament.”

The Bearcat’s next duals will take place at the Lehigh-hosted EIWA championships, a two-day event beginning on Friday, March 7. The first bout is scheduled at a time to be decided at the Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

“I thought it was a playoff kind of atmosphere with both teams making plays and not wanting to lose,” said Binghamton head coach Levell Sanders. “I think the difference is just we made a few more plays and then they did.”

Maine (16-12, 8-5 AE) was quick to get on the board, driving in a layup on its first possession, but the Bearcats (15-14, 7-7 AE) soon notched it at 2-2 after a midrange from senior forward Nehemiah Benson. Four Bearcat turnovers fueled a Black Bears run that saw them take an 11-2 lead. The Bearcats, however, responded with a 6-2 run as Benson added another four points and Chenery a fast-break dunk to bring it to 14-8 to go into the first media break.

“I think changing and only going with one big I think that helped us out, just because it gave us more space,” Sanders said. “We weren’t so stagnant trying to throw the ball inside.”

Maine continued its strong start to the match, growing its lead to 10 after two back-to-back three-pointers. Eight points from redshirt junior guard Chris Walker with scores from all levels of the field brought Binghamton within three as it entered the final media timeout of the first period. Earning two consecutive trips to the free-throw line, the Bearcats tied the match at 30-30. Walker drilled two shots from beyond the arc, and Walsh added a jumper of his own as Binghamton took its first lead before Maine cut the lead to 38-33 as the foes entered the half.

”My teammates trust me,” Walker said. “They try to do what they can to give me the ball in my spot so I can raise up and get a good look. I feel like it’s credit to them for just hitting me in my spots.”

The Black Bears opened the second half on a 6-0 run to make it a one-point game. Senior guard Wes Peterson Jr. stopped the bleeding with a layup, which fostered a 6-0 run for BU to make it 46-39. It proved a game of runs as Maine’s offense continued to get to the basket, draining a three-pointer to take a 49-46 game with 11:30 to go, forcing a Bearcat timeout.

”We talk about controlling our own destiny,” Sanders said. “For us, it’s just a matter of, you know, just trying to go out and be present on that day, and so we can have our best foot forward. I thought we did a really good job today.”

As the clock winded down, a layup from Chenery helped BU regain the lead, but the back-and-forth continued between both teams. Neither team took a lead greater than four, as it was still anybody’s game. Walsh drained a three-pointer with three minutes to go to give Binghamton a 66-65 lead, but Maine quickly took the lead back with two free throws. As the game came down to the wire, Peterson hit two big free throws, and Chenery hit a huge three-pointer to make it 71-69. The Bearcats fended the Black Bears off for the final 29 seconds to secure the victory.

“I think it started with just getting my teammates involved,” Chenery said. “They trust me with the ball. They kind of want me to be a ball, so I feel like I owe them, and I got to make the right plays. So I think it just started from there. I was able to build a rhythm.”

The Bearcats were led by Walker, who scored 16 of his 19 points in the first half on 4-of-7 shooting as the Bearcats shot 50 percent from beyond the arc. Chenery and Walsh each nearly added double-doubles, netting 15 and 13 points and adding nine and eight rebounds apiece, respectively.

“We always talk about being a balanced team and not just having one player or two guys just kind of dominate everything,” Sanders said. “I think that’s a lot harder to guard when you have multiple guys who can make plays, who can score, and so that’s the formula for us.”

The Bearcats will head to UMass Lowell on Saturday, March 1, as they attempt to secure a home playoff game. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. at the Costello Gymnasium in Lowell, Massachusetts.

Thursday night saw an all-around team effort by Binghamton (14-12, 6-7 AE) to capture the victory against UMBC (12-11, 5-6 AE). Both teams lived in the paint in the first quarter, scoring 10 around the rim. The Retrievers struggled to stop strong ball movement from the Bearcats, as the hosts went up 17-15 at the end of quarter one. BU built on its lead going into the second quarter, ending the final 2:50 of the half on a 10-2 run to go up 31-24 going into the half.

“We figured out our slides in the zone and we figured out how we needed to help each other today,” said Binghamton head coach Mary Grimes. “We also rebounded very well.”

After both teams missed their first two field goals of the second half, they exchanged free throws as Binghamton maintained its lead. Going a perfect 7-of-7 from the line in the third quarter, the Bearcats built their lead to 10. The final 10 minutes saw a low-scoring affair as each team scored just eight points. Ultimately, Binghamton came out on top 58-48.

“It was a great defensive effort,” Grimes said. “It was a defensive juggernaut, especially in the fourth quarter, both of us only scored eight.”

Sophomore guard Bella Pucci had 17 points and seven rebounds on 6-of-7 shooting. Despite the rest of the team struggling, shooting just 12-for-39, BU was able to scrape out the win.

The Bearcats continued their winning ways on Saturday, securing a big win over NJIT (10-16, 7-6 AE). Binghamton’s offense got off to a hot start, but things remained tight as the Highlanders matched each basket. After a three-pointer by Pucci to make it 17-13 BU, the offense went cold for the final 4:14. Meanwhile, NJIT went on a 7-0 run to take a 21-17 lead at the end of one. The Highlanders kept building their lead in the second, heading into halftime up 37-31.

“We talked at the half about rotating on defense because NJIT is a very good shooting team,” Grimes said. “Once we were able to do that, we were able to come up with the steals and the rebounds. I think that’s where we adjusted very well.”

The second half was a different story for BU as the offense exploded for 23 points while holding NJIT to nine. Shooting 52.94 percent from the field, Binghamton took back the momentum, leading 54-46 going into the fourth. The last period saw another low-scoring affair as BU held on for a 65-55 victory.

“[NJIT is] an unbelievable three-point shooting team so for them to only make six — that’s incredible,” Grimes said. “We adjusted very well.”

Four Bearcats finished in double figures. Leading the way was sophomore guard Yanniah Boyd with 16 points. Sophomore forward Kendall Bennett, redshirt junior guard Jadyn Weltz and Pucci had 11, 11 and 13 points, respectively.

Binghamton will take on UNH on Thursday, Feb. 20. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Lundholm Gymnasium in Durham, New Hampshire.

“I felt that every time UMass Lowell made a run, we responded very well,” said Binghamton head coach Mary Grimes. “They play for 40 minutes and give it everything they got, but we were able to withstand that today.”

Binghamton (12-12, 4-7 AE) came out of the gates firing on all cylinders, scoring 22 points in the first quarter off 7-of-13 shooting from the field. Junior guard Kaia Goode added nine points while the Bearcats’ defense held UMass Lowell (3-19, 1-9 AE) to just 11 points in the quarter and 30 percent shooting.

The Bearcats cooled down in the second quarter and were outscored narrowly, 13-10. The River Hawks were able to take advantage of BU’s sloppiness with the ball as they scored seven points off turnovers in the period. Still, going into halftime, Binghamton maintained a 32-24 lead.

Coming out of halftime, both teams went basket for basket, each notching 17 points in the quarter. While at times, it seemed as if UMass Lowell was going to make a comeback, timely Bearcat baskets killed any momentum. While it was still anyone’s game, BU held their eight-point lead going into the final period.

BU was able to pull away in the fourth quarter to establish its lead and put UMass Lowell away. Back-to-back three-pointers from Goode and sophomore guard Leah Middleton cemented the BU advantage at 12 as the visiting Bearcats fended off the River Hawks from there, and Binghamton ran away with a 65-52 victory.

Goode led all scorers with 16 points alongside five rebounds and four assists. Middleton had a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds and filled up the rest of the stat sheet, dishing out five assists and grabbing four steals.

On Saturday, Binghamton battled Bryant in a relatively high-scoring affair, with both teams shooting above 45 percent from the field in the contest. After a slow start for the Bearcats in the first with Bryant dominating the paint early on, they picked things up in the second quarter, ending the half on an 8-2 run, trailing just 29-25 at the half.

“I’m super proud of my team,” Grimes said. “They fought. We never held our heads, which I think in the past we’ve done. That’s why we were able to come back and make this a six-point game in the end.”

Things picked up in the second half with both teams seemingly refusing to miss a shot. BU drained 7-of-11 from the field in the period and made 3-of-4 from three-point range while Bryant shot 8-of-15 from the field and 4-of-7 from beyond the perimeter. The visitors, however, were unable to close the deficit, as the Bulldogs held an eight-point lead going into the fourth.

BU’s defense clawed down in the fourth, holding Bryant to just four field goals off 15 tries. Despite this, the Bulldogs, earned 10 trips to the charity stripe, making seven of them, allowing them to maintain their advantage. Ultimately, while the Bearcats kept things close, their comeback fell short as they suffered a 68-62 loss.

Sophomore guard Bella Pucci led the Bearcats with 17 points alongside five rebounds. As a team, Binghamton had eight steals and scored 13 points off turnovers. In the rebounding department, the Bearcats were out-rebounded 40-28, which made the difference in the game.

Binghamton will return home on Feb. 13 to take on UMBC as it enters the final stretch of its conference slate. Tipoff is set for 6:07 p.m. at the Events Center in Vestal, New York.

Binghamton finished the 2024 season 21-29 overall and just 10-14 in conference play. The season was derailed by a multitude of injuries, which began in the first series of the season when star infielder Nick Roselli suffered a broken hamate bone, sidelining him for several weeks. While he returned in time for the AE playoffs, starting senior outfielders Tommy Reifler and Logan Haskell, the one and two spot in the lineup, were unable to play in BU’s sole playoff game.

Going into the 2025 season, notable returners include four seniors — Haskell, infielder Devan Bade and catchers Zach Rogacki and Evin Sullivan. Four Bearcats were selected to the preseason all-conference team, including Rogacki, Bade and Sullivan, along with sophomore relief pitcher Jackson Mitchell, an AE all-rookie selection last season. With a fastball that sits in the mid-90s and a big sweeper, Mitchell will be one to watch this season.

Rogacki also faced his fair share of the injury bug, playing in just 24 games, but when he was healthy, he was impactful, hitting .310 with 26 hits. Bade, who has improved his numbers every year at BU, will be another one to watch. As a solidified piece in the lineup, Bade hit a team-high .326 last year with 59 hits and six home runs. Lastly, Sullivan will also look to build on his strong 2024 campaign where he hit .316 and led the team with 12 doubles.

Prominent transfers that have joined the squad in 2025 include graduate student infielder Freddy Forgione from SUNY Maritime. In 2024, Forgione was a Division III First Team all-American and Skyline Conference Player of the Year, hitting .385 with 21 home runs, 15 doubles and 62 RBIs. He will bring some much-needed pop to the Bearcats lineup, especially with the loss of Roselli. [HYPERLINK https://www.bupipedream.com/sports/nick-roselli-drafted-to-mets/154370/]

With a relatively young team going into the 2025 season, it will take time for the Bearcats to get settled and get players to where they fit best. The Bearcats will rely on underclassmen, such as sophomore infielder Todd Abraham and Mitchell, who saw a big role last year. However, the biggest key is staying healthy and building chemistry, as the team searches for a bit of a new identity.

Binghamton will begin its season on Friday, Feb. 14 with a series against Texas State University. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. at Jim Wacker Field in San Marcos, Texas.

BU (11-8, 3-3 AE) began its weekend with its second annual “Beyond the Classroom Game” on Thursday, playing in front of a record crowd of 4,627 against Vermont (9-10, 4-1 AE). Despite the home-court advantage, Binghamton came up short in a low-scoring 55-46 affair, with the Catamounts out-rebounding the hosts 41-30, 10 of which were offensive boards.

“The shots and layups that we had been making — I think we just assumed we were going to make them again today,” said head coach Mary Grimes. “We didn’t get many second-chance opportunities and that was a glaring stat.”

Redshirt junior guard Jadyn Weltz was the only Bearcat who finished with double figures, scoring 15 points off 6-of-13 shooting. The rest of the team shot 12-of-37, just 32 percent from the field. Facing a 17-point deficit heading into the fourth quarter, Binghamton outscored the Catamounts 16-10 in the last period but still came up short by nine.

“Vermont is an unbelievable team offensively,” Grimes said. “I was proud of our team for holding them to just 55 points. But we have to be able to embrace contact and finish our own possessions.”

In its second game of the week on Saturday, the Bearcats faltered against first-place Albany (16-3, 6-0 AE), suffering its largest defeat in AE play of the season at 79-55. The Great Danes came out hot straight out of the gate with 22 points in the first quarter. The Bearcats were unable to contain the Albany offense, which accumulated 24 total assists. Overall, the visitors also shot 19-of-55 from the field and 9-of-24 from three-point range as BU was inefficient offensively for the second straight game.

Sophomore guard Bella Pucci was the only Bearcat who finished with double digits with 15 points. Ultimately, the Binghamton defense was unable to contain the Great Danes’ graduate student forward Kayla Cooper, who went for 20 points, seven assists and five rebounds. With the win, Albany stayed undefeated at 6-0 in conference play, while BU dropped to .500 in league play.

Binghamton will look to get back on track against Bryant on Saturday, Jan. 25. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. at the Dr. Bai Lee Court at the Events Center in Vestal, New York.

“Bowling Green is a really, really good team,” said Binghamton head coach Allie Yaeger. “They’re a very physical team. There’s a reason why they won the MAC, which is also a really good conference.”

Binghamton (19-10, 8-2 AE) and Bowling Green (22-9, 16-2 MAC) were evenly matched to begin the first set, tied at six early on. A 3-0 run from the Falcons gave them the lead, which they held for the rest of the set. While the Bearcats stayed within striking distance, they could not grab the momentum they needed, falling 25-18 in set one.

“We got aced a lot,” Yaeger said. “We just couldn’t get out of certain rotations, because we just really struggled passing the ball.”

Bowling Green opened set two with a 10-0 run. The Bearcats slowly crawled back, chipping away at the deficit as two kills from fifth-year outside hitter Tsvetelina Ilieva and graduate student middle blocker Johanna Remy cut it to 18-15. The closest BU got was within two at 22-20 and 23-21, courtesy of kills from freshman right side hitter Viktoria Dimitrova. However, the Falcons were able to close out the set 25-21 and go up two sets to none.

“For the sets that we lost, we definitely didn’t do as well as we needed to from the service line,” Yaeger said. “We missed nine serves, which is unacceptable for us in a match.”

The Bearcats got off to a strong start in set three, holding an early 8-6 lead. Both teams were neck and neck until the very end. With eight ties and two lead changes, Binghamton grabbed the momentum late, going on a 3-0 run to make it a 24-19 game. A kill from Ilieva sealed the deal to give BU set three.

“We had a game plan,” Yaeger said. “We stuck to it, and it worked offensively for us. At times, when we won, we won the serve and pass game.”

In set four, after some back and forth, Bowling Green used a seven-point run to make it a 9-2 game. This was one of two major runs for the Falcons. Later in the set, the hosts went on another 7-0 run to make it a 24-14. Two points later, Bowling Green recorded a kill to hand the Bearcats a four-set defeat, eliminating them from the tournament and ending their season.

“I think it was really good that we played in it,” Yaeger said. “I’m proud of the girls. I never wanted that match to end. It was just really good volleyball. I knew as soon as that fourth set hit 25 for Bowling Green, there was going to be a number of our players that never wore the Binghamton jersey again. So, it was a very bittersweet moment for the program.”

While Binghamton’s season has come to an end, there were several Bearcats who earned individual accolades, highlighted by Ilieva’s third straight AE Player of the Year honor. She is the first Bearcat ever to win the award in three consecutive seasons. Junior setter Lottie Scully was named the AE Setter of the Year while being named to the all-conference first team. Sophomore middle blocker Misa Dlouha joined Scully on the first team while sophomore outside hitter Ella Schabort earned a spot on the all-conference second team. Dimitrova was the sole Bearcat to earn a place on the All-Rookie team.

“For the program, it’s kind of a distribution of all over the place and their ages and their experience, but they all train at a very high level,” Yaeger said. “I’m so proud of everybody for the work that they put in throughout the season to be able to achieve the things that we were able to achieve this year.”

With the loss of Ilieva, the most decorated player in program history who has put BU on the map, the Bearcats will head into the 2024-25 campaign looking to fill her shoes. While this may seem like a monumental task, Yaeger is confident in the team’s ability to come back stronger.

“[Ilieva] has changed everything when it comes to the words ‘Bearcat volleyball,’” Yaeger said. “She has helped me and my coaching staff completely change the culture, completely change the mindset, increase the level of play in our gym, make a name for this program on the map. People know who we are. People know [who] she is when they talk about Binghamton volleyball.”

Looking toward next season, Yaeger is excited for the next chapter of Binghamton volleyball. She said the team’s success will require others to step up and take on new roles as the team builds on the legacy that Ilieva has cemented for the program.

“It’s a new chapter for us,” Yaeger said. “I really do feel like this is a chapter that’s ending, but I’m excited for what’s to come. People are going to have to take on new leadership roles, and we’re going to have to distribute the ball a little more, and it’s going to really require people to step up. [Ilieva’s] been so great for us for so long, but all good things must come to an end.”

Buffalo (8-0) got off to an auspicious start, going on an 11-0 run in the first five minutes of the game. Meanwhile, BU (5-4) went 0-of-9 from the field before a jumper from junior guard Kaia Goode got them on the board. After this point, the Bearcats scored just four more points as the Bulls led 20-6 at the end of one.

Binghamton managed to close the gap slightly in the second quarter, outscoring Buffalo 15-13. After shooting just 15 percent in the first quarter, BU shot at a 63.64 percent clip in the second. Meanwhile, despite holding the Bulls to just 5-of-16 shooting in the second quarter, the Bearcats faced a 33-21 deficit going into halftime.

Coming out of halftime, a back and forth between the two teams ensued as they traded baskets. While Binghamton’s offense was able to keep pace with Buffalo, the Bulls seemingly could not miss from the field, making 10-of-13 in the third quarter to grow its lead to 19 going into the fourth.

After sophomore guard Kaylee Krysztof drained a three to start the fourth, Buffalo responded with an 8-0 run to make it a 67-43 game. At this point, the game was out of reach for BU, looking to make up a 24-point deficit in the final 6:44. The Bearcats’ defense was unable to keep pace with the Bulls, who went on to capture a 74-51 win.

The Bearcats’ depth was present in this game, even with the lopsided result. Sophomore guard Bella Pucci tallied 10 points and eight rebounds. Fellow sophomore guard Yanniah Boyd added 10 points as well along with four rebounds and three assists. As a team, BU struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 2-of-18.

After a two-week break, Binghamton will take on Siena on Sunday, Dec. 15. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. at MVP Arena in Loudonville, New York.

“I am really proud of our team,” head coach Mary Grimes said. “That is a tough Loyola team … For us to come out with a win against them is pretty impressive. The team is figuring out the zone, how to play off each other and trust each other.”

In its first game of the week on Monday, Binghamton (5-3) got out to a strong start against Canisius (1-5) and did not look back. The Bearcats scored 16 points in each of the first two quarters, holding a 32-23 lead going into halftime. The BU offense shot 48 percent from the field in the first half while the defense locked down the Golden Griffins at 33.3 percent shooting.

“Kudos to the team,” Grimes said. “Defense is what wins championships, and I think that the team is understanding the slides of the zone.”

The Bearcats continued to build on their lead going into the third quarter, outscoring the Golden Griffins 15-11 thanks to timely three-pointers from sophomore guards Leah Middleton and Yanniah Boyd. Going into the final quarter leading 47-34, Binghamton held on, despite being outscored 24-21 in the highest-scoring period of the night, for the 10-point victory.

“We’re a deep team,” Boyd said. “Everyone has their special talent … that’s definitely our secret weapon with our team.”

Boyd and Middleton added 12 points and three assists each in the winning effort. As a team, Binghamton shot efficiently on the night with a 50.9 percent clip from the field and capitalized on mistakes, scoring 18 points off Canisius’ 15 turnovers.

“We have really been stressing getting defensive rebounds and not allowing teams to get second-chance opportunities,” Grimes said. “We were really able to adjust in the second half.”

To finish off its weekend on Saturday, BU started strong on both ends of the floor to maintain a 14-9 lead over Loyola Maryland (4-3) at the end of quarter one. The second quarter saw more of the same as the Bearcats led 29-19 going into halftime.

“Defense is going to win the game for us,” said redshirt junior guard Jadyn Weltz. “Really excited about that growth from our team and excited for where it will take us next.”

Despite the Greyhounds cutting the BU lead to five coming out of the half, Binghamton responded with a 10-6 run to pad a 44-33 lead going into the fourth quarter. The Bearcats continued to fend off Loyola Maryland in the fourth quarter, never relinquishing their double-digit lead for a 62-46 victory.

“The biggest thing for us was taking care of the ball,” Weltz said. “We all had to stay close and help anyone that was bringing up the ball which really alleviated all that pressure.”

Boyd continued her strong sophomore campaign, adding 11 points, five assists and four rebounds. BU’s defensive prowess made the difference, holding the Greyhounds to just 32.7 percent shooting from the field and 23.5 percent from the perimeter. BU also capitalized off second-chance opportunities, scoring 15 points off of 12 offensive rebounds.

“We wanted to increase out defensive intensity,” Boyd said. “We just kept the pressure up and stayed disciplined for 20 minutes.”

Binghamton will hit the road once again to take on Buffalo on Wednesday, Dec. 4. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. at Alumni Arena in Buffalo, New York.

In front of its home crowd at the Events Center, the No. 1-seeded Binghamton volleyball team was upset by No. 4 Albany in the America East semifinals on Friday night. Despite going into championship weekend undefeated on their home floor in conference play, the Bearcats suffered a four-set loss to the Great Danes, resulting in their elimination from the AE tournament.

“It just wasn’t our day,” said Binghamton head coach Allie Yaeger. “Albany played outstanding against us. We couldn’t get anything to drop. They dug every single hard swing that we put over at them, and they came back even harder at us.”

Albany (12-15, 5-5 AE) came out of the gate hot in the first set with a 6-0 run, but a kill from fifth-year outside hitter Tsvetelina Ilieva ended the run to get Binghamton (19-10, 8-2 AE) on the board. The Bearcats recovered from the early deficit with timely kills and blocks to cut the Great Danes’ lead to 16-14. BU tied the set at 21 and then took the lead at 23-22 with back-to-back kills from freshman right side hitter Viktoria Dimitrova and sophomore outside hitter Ella Schabort. Another kill from Schabort secured BU’s 25-22 set win, sending the Events Center crowd into a frenzy.

“It was hard,” Yaeger said. “Albany was playing relentless. We just had to continue to fight and we did fight. Even in the first set, we were down a lot, and we came back and we won, and we made everything close.”

Despite having the momentum from set one, Binghamton got off to a slow start once again in set two, as Albany jumped out to a 10-3 lead. The Bearcats’ offense struggled to get things going, being held to just a .032 hitting percentage. Meanwhile, the Great Danes tallied 15 kills with a .464 hitting percentage en route to a 25-12 set win.

“[Albany] just played great defense,” Yaeger said. “They dug everything. They won the serve and pass game.”

Going into set three, the Bearcats scored four unanswered points to begin the set. Binghamton kept things rolling from there as the set stayed close, with a kill from Dimitrova and a block by sophomore middle blocker Misa Dlouha to help BU regain the lead at 12-11. Later in the frame, trailing 18-15, Binghamton strung a 3-0 run to tie it back up. However, Albany gained momentum late to stun the Bearcats and win set three 25-21.

“At times we just got down too much,” Yaeger said. “It’s just unacceptable for us to get down by seven or eight points and then have to claw and fight our way back the entire match. It was brutal at times. We didn’t have answers.”

Binghamton went up 8-2 in the early going, but Albany climbed back with a 7-1 run to tie the set at 15. From there on out, the Great Danes maintained a slight lead with a 4-0 run that propelled them to a 20-17 advantage. While the Bearcats battled back with three straight points to tie the set at 23, those were the final points for the hosts as Albany won the final two points to take the set and earn the victory overall.

“[Albany] took us out of system and we couldn’t serve hard enough,” Yaeger said. “They were in system a lot. So, I mean, they just played really well, and I knew they would. The deficit was too much, and we just couldn’t play well enough.”

Ilieva put together a 20-kill performance. Meanwhile, Schabort and Dlouha added nine kills of their own. While Yaeger was disappointed in the result, she expressed pride in the team’s accomplishments this past season. Hosting the AE tournament in the Events Center for the first time ever, the Bearcats made program history in multiple aspects this season.

“It was a really disappointing end for us, clearly not the results that any of us wanted,” Yaeger said. “It doesn’t take away all the great things that we did this season. We couldn’t have asked for better support from our student-athletes and our coaches, our administration and the community.”

As a result of winning the AE regular season title, Binghamton’s season will continue at the National Invitational Volleyball Championship against an opponent to be decided.

“I’m excited to play in it for sure,” Yaeger said. “It’s not the main goal. The main goal was obviously to win and go to the NCAA tournament. But it’s an honor to also be invited to this and there’s been some big-time names that have won this tournament.”

“It’s so great,” said Binghamton head coach Allie Yaeger. “We’re so excited. It’s something that you talk about for so long. As soon as the last point was played last season when we lost at UMBC, our minds were on this. So when I say we talk about it for so long, we really do.”

Binghamton (19-9, 8-2 AE) never trailed in set one, winning 25-19, the closest of all three sets in the afternoon. The Bearcats did not look back after taking an early 7-2 lead against NJIT (5-23, 0-10 AE). The Highlanders kept things relatively close, tying the set multiple times. However, with the score at 20-19 in BU’s favor, the visitors ended the set on a 5-0 run to take the first set.

“We had a little bit of a slow start,” Yaeger said. “In the first set, it was a little closer than I needed it to be — just a lot of our errors.”

In set two, the Bearcats continued to dominate with all the momentum swinging in their favor. Jumping out to a 7-3 lead, assisted by three early kills from fifth-year outside hitter Tsvetelina Ilieva, the Highlanders had no answer to Binghamton’s offense, which hit .367 in the set. Meanwhile, NJIT hit -0.138 in the second set with eight errors and just four kills, compared to BU’s 14 kills and three errors. The visitors went on to take the set by double-digits at 25-11.

“Even to start the second set off, we kind of missed a lot of serves,” Yaeger said. “We had a lot of errors, but once we started going, there was really no looking back.”

The final set of the afternoon saw more of the same for Binghamton. After trading points to start, the Bearcats used a 4-0 run, consisting of two kills apiece from sophomore middle blocker Misa Dlouha and sophomore outside hitter Ella Schabort to extend BU’s lead to 11-5. Binghamton’s offense was unable to be stopped, amassing 18 kills in the set en route to a 25-15 set victory to secure the sweep.

The Bearcats’ offense saw an even distribution of offensive production with Ilieva, Schabort and Dlouha leading the pack with 13, 11 and eight kills respectively. As a team, Binghamton hit .260 while holding NJIT to a -.031 hitting percentage and just 19 kills in the match.

“The girls dominated blocking-wise,” Yaeger said. “After the first set, we really controlled the serve and pass game, which I always talk about. It was nice to be able to do that in three and get in and out and get back here and get home.”

All season, Yaeger has discussed peaking at the right time, alluding to the fact that her team was able to go undefeated on their home floor during conference play, giving them an advantage going into championship weekend as the hosts.

“We’re definitely playing our best volleyball that we’ve been playing,” Yaeger said. “I have full confidence in these players. I know how much they love playing at home and going undefeated in conference on our home floor … It’s a different vibe when we’re at home.”

Heading into championship weekend next week, Yaeger also talked about the team’s mindset as it hosts the AE championship in the Events Center for the first time in program history. Throughout the team, confidence is high and the team is excited to get going, with their sights set on Albany.

“Spirits are high,” Yaeger said. “Again, we could not be more excited to host at home and to play in the Events Center, which will be the first time ever. It’ll be the first time ever that we’re playing the volleyball championships in the Event Center, which is all so exciting for the program, for the athletic department, for the school and for the community.”

No. 1 Binghamton will begin its playoff run against No. 4 Albany on Friday, Nov. 22. First serve is set for 4 p.m. at the Events Center in Vestal, New York.

Cornell (2-2) got on the board early with sophomore guard Yanniah Boyd picking up a quick foul for BU (2-2), sending the Big Red to the line early. After a Cornell layup to make it 3-0, junior Kaia Goode got BU on the board with a layup. Things continued to go back and forth with the Big Red continuing to make shots. Redshirt junior guard Jadyn Weltz made two consecutive layups bringing the Bearcats within one at 7-6. After this point, Cornell pulled away, ending the period on a 12-0 run to take a 19-6 lead at the end of one.

Binghamton, despite a shaky start, regrouped, gaining some quick momentum in the early minutes of the second quarter. Quick layups from Goode and junior guard/forward Camryn Fauria along with a three-pointer from Weltz within the first four minutes of the quarter brought the deficit to 21-13. Cornell’s held this eight-point advantage for the rest of the quarter, as Binghamton trailed 30-22 going into the half.

Coming out of halftime, Cornell scored two quick baskets, extending its lead to 12. Facing a 34-22 deficit, BU strung together an 8-0 run, courtesy of three-pointers from sophomore guard Bella Pucci and Weltz, which got the visitors within four at 36-32. Soon after, a well-executed jumper by sophomore guard Leah Middleton allowed Binghamton to regain the lead at 41-40 for a slight period with only 2:47 remaining in the quarter. Outscoring the Big Red 21-18, Binghamton entered the final quarter down just 48-43.

The Bearcats were unable to get anything going in the fourth, as they were held scoreless with just 3:18 left. In the meantime, Cornell built on its lead, scoring 13 points, expanding its lead to 61-43. At this point, it was too little, too late for Binghamton as the Big Red continued to run away with the game, handing BU a 68-51 loss.

Middleton led all scorers with 14 points, with Weltz behind her, adding 13 points. However, as a team, BU shot just 36 percent from the field while Cornell shot at a 49.1 percent clip.

The Bearcats will look to rebound from the loss as they take on Pitt at home on Sunday, Nov. 17. Tipoff is set for 1:30 p.m. at the Dr. Bai Lee Court in the Events Center in Vestal, New York.

“Every single set counts and every single point matters,” said Binghamton head coach Allie Yaeger. “This season has flown by so fast, but we really need to just stay focused.”

In Binghamton’s (17-9, 7-2 AE) first game of the weekend on Friday evening against UMBC (8-14, 6-3 AE), the Bearcats secured a 3-0 sweep over the Retrievers — 25-19, 25-22 and 25-22. After being swept on the Retrievers’ home court in early October, BU flipped the script to earn its fourth straight win in conference play.

“It was definitely a must-win for us,” Yaeger said. “To be able to do it in three was huge. With this conference and how good everybody is, you never know when you’re going to be in a three-way tie for first.”

The Retrievers could not find a way to stop fifth-year outside hitter Tsvetelina Ilieva, who led all players with 19 kills. Freshman right side hitter Viktoria Dimitrova also played a major role in the win, adding 12 kills of her own. BU’s defense, including 18 blocks, also held UMBC to a .191 hitting percentage.

“That’s a good UMBC team,” Yaeger said. “We just really, really did a good job with our scouting report and the girls being disciplined to stop their players.”

In their second match of the weekend on Sunday afternoon, the Bearcats extended their winning streak, earning their second win of the weekend against New Hampshire (15-9, 6-3 AE) — 19-25, 19-25, 25-18, 25-23 and 15-12. After going down two sets to none, Binghamton stormed back to earn a victory in reverse-sweep fashion.

“We started making defense a priority,” Yaeger said. “If you take a look at the sets after set two, [Dimitrova] started getting going. [sophomore middle blocker Misa Dlouha] started getting going. [Sophomore outside hitter Ella Schabort] started contributing. I thought [senior outside hitter/defensive specialist Sydney Aguirre] did a phenomenal job of serve receive, and passing really well.”

Four Bearcats finished with double-digit kills. Ilieva led the way for BU with 20 kills while Schabort and Dimitrova added 13 kills each. Lastly, Dlouha tallied 12 kills. In addition, after the match, Binghamton honored Ilieva and Aguirre in a Senior Day ceremony. Yaeger spoke about their impacts on the team, both on and off the court.

“[Ilieva and Aguirre] just mean so much to me,” Yaeger said. “Besides the fact of them being good volleyball players and everything that they’ve contributed to this program over the last couple of years and contributed to our success, they are such good people … We’re going to miss them so much.”

With the team likely hosting the AE tournament after defeating two of the top teams in the conference, Binghamton will shift its focus toward its final two matches, against Lehigh and NJIT. Yaeger described how the team needs to stay poised with just a few more weekends left in the season.

“We have to want it,” Yaeger said. “I know they want it. We’ve talked about this for so long, and now it’s here. I can’t believe it. By the time you get to the conference tournament, you’ve already seen everybody twice. We’ve just got to be disciplined and stay focused.”

Binghamton will take on Lehigh on Wednesday, Nov. 13, before its final conference showdown on the road against NJIT. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

“I think our defense went right,” said Binghamton head coach Mary Grimes. “I’m happy we came away with the win. We rebounded like beasts today.”

After winning the tipoff, Weltz knocked down a step-back three to give Binghamton (2-0) an early lead over Akron (1-1). Both teams shot well from the field early on with BU leading 10-7 midway through the first quarter. Things continued to go back and forth and with 10 seconds left in the quarter, sophomore guard Yanniah Boyd drained two free-throws to give the Bearcats a 15-13 lead at the end of one.

“I think we’ve learned to have some composure,” Grimes said. “We really had to fight. That’s an [Akron] team that doesn’t go away. We were able to stay steady and just really defend and understand the personnel.”

The Zips took their first lead in the opening minute of the second quarter to make it a 16-15 game. Binghamton regained the advantage shortly after and added to it with two free-throws from sophomore guard Leah Middleton and a layup from Boyd to make it 23-20. BU’s 2-3 zone defense proved effective, holding Akron to 33.3 percent shooting in the quarter to take a 32-26 lead into the half.

“Our team just kind of dialed it in,” Weltz said. “We got together and we said, ‘Listen, we got to stop the ball and we’ve got to get some stops.’ We stuck together, and we played hard, and I think that was the difference maker.”

Coming out of halftime, Akron used a 6-0 run to tie the game at 32. Soon after, a tough left-handed finish, corner three-pointer and floater from Goode was part of a 7-0 run that gave Binghamton some breathing room at 39-32. A similar pace of play continued as the Bearcats maintained their lead to take a 45-38 advantage going into the fourth quarter.

“I think at the end of the day, we just played very, very hard,” Grimes said. “Even though people were out of position, we had people in foul trouble, everybody just went out there and played hard in the the positions they were in defensively.”

BU maintained the momentum at the start of the fourth as the hosts went on a 7-0 run. This included four points off layups from Weltz in addition to a three-ball from Goode to make it 52-40. The Bearcats continued to pad their lead as a flurry of buckets, capped out by a three-pointer from Weltz extended Binghamton’s lead to 19 at 66-47. When the final buzzer sounded, the Bearcats came out on top, 66-50.

“For me, I was just trying to stay locked in and dialed in,” Goode said. “Those points came to me, and I took them. I trusted in my teammates.”

Weltz led all scorers with 18 points, while Boyd scored a career-high 14 points. Binghamton held Akron to 33.3 percent shooting from the field while grabbing 44 rebounds in comparison to the visitors’ 29. Sophomore guard Bella Pucci played a major role in this, grabbing 13 boards, the most she has accumulated in a single game in her overall playing career.

“I don’t think I’ve actually ever had that many in my life,” Pucci said. “Coach Grimes is a great leader. She always wants to win. She basically tells us to go out there and, fight as hard as we can and give effort, and we’re going to come out with wins.”

Binghamton will continue its nonconference slate against St. Bonaventure on Saturday, Nov. 9. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. at Reilly Center in St. Bonaventure, New York.

After seven months of preparation under a new coach, the Binghamton women’s basketball team opened its season with a commanding 79-34 win over Pitt-Johnstown on Monday night. The Bearcats never trailed in the contest, holding the Mountain Cats to a 23.5 percent shooting percentage and earning their first victory in the Mary Grimes era.

“I think it really showed tonight that they were excited to be in the arena,” Grimes said. “It was an unbelievable effort all around.”

Binghamton (1-0) opened the first quarter on a 13-0 run, which began with sophomore guard Yanniah Boyd draining two free throws for BU’s first points of the season. This run also included the first points as a Bearcat for junior guard Kaia Goode — off a three-pointer. After being held scoreless for nearly six minutes, Pitt-Johnston (0-1) ended its scoring drought with two consecutive three-pointers to make it a 13-6 game. Boyd drained another free throw to make it a 14-6 game at the end of quarter one.

“It was kind of surreal,” Goode said. “I was a little nervous but I was definitely excited to get out there and play with this team. We’ve been working for a really long time and to get out here and have our first game and get a win — it was great.”

Starting the second period in a 2-2-1 press, BU went on a 7-1 run that was capped off by a three-pointer by senior forward Genevieve Coleman to make it 21-7. The Bearcats offense continued to outpace the Mountain Cats, going up 32-11, courtesy of a steal and score from redshirt junior guard Jadyn Weltz. Neither team shot particularly well with Binghamton and Pitt-Johnson shooting 33 and 24 percent from the field respectively, but the hosts took a 36-17 lead going into the half.

“[Defense] was a big focus for us tonight,” Weltz said. “We’ve been working on it all week and we really wanted to hone in on that. It’s only going to build from here.”

After halftime, the Bearcats continued to extend their lead, doubling the Mountain Cats’ point total at 42-21 after sophomore guard Bella Pucci beat her defender for a layup. Pucci’s layup kicked off a 15-0 run, allowing Binghamton to extend its lead to 32. BU shot 50 percent from the field in the quarter taking a 58-26 lead going into the fourth.

“We talked about not rushing up to the high post in the zone and not allowing middle drives, and we executed that very well,” Grimes said. “We had a goal and we hit our goal. To hold them to 34 points was just unbelievable.”

The fourth quarter saw more of the same as BU outscored Pitt-Johnstown 16-5 to take a 43-point lead at 74-31. A layup in the final moments of the game from Pucci capped off a 79-34 win for Binghamton in its home opener.

“I think everybody played within themselves,” Grimes said. “I’m happy with that. It’s a team effort, it’s going to be really hard to defend if multiple people can score and we did that tonight.”

Weltz and Goode led the way for the Bearcats, filling up the stat sheet. Weltz led BU with 17 points, eight rebounds and three assists while Goode chipped in 10 points, five rebounds and five assists.

“It’s been seven months of just practice and preparation,” Weltz said. “Tonight I think we all just stepped out there and we were ready to go. No hesitation, no holding back, just like coach said — staying within ourselves and doing what we do best.”

With a quick turnaround, Binghamton will take on Akron on Thursday, Nov. 7. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at the Dr. Bai Lee Court in the Events Center in Vestal, New York.

“I’ll take the win,” said Binghamton head coach Allie Yaeger. “I’ll take it, and I’ll run with it. A road win is huge, especially against a good Bryant team.”

Binghamton (15-9, 5-2 AE) went down early in the first set as Bryant (18-8, 4-4 AE) jumped out to a 9-4 lead. The middle of the set saw more of the same as the Bearcats continued to play from being, going down 18-14. While BU cut the lead to 23-21 at one point, with a 3-0 run, it was not enough as the Bulldogs took set one 25-22.

“It was all about the serve and the serve-receive game,” Yaeger said. “[Bryant] just served really, really well last night. When we were in system, [junior setter Lottie Scully] was able to set whoever she wanted to, we were very dominant.”

To begin the second set, BU used an early 5-0 run to go up 8-4. Timely kills from Schabort and Ilieva allowed the Bearcats to keep the lead at 18-15. While Bryant stayed within striking distance, Binghamton pulled away late in the second, ending the set on a 3-0 run with two kills from Ilieva and a kill from freshman right side hitter Viktoria Dimitrova, winning the set 25-19.

“We were we had open nets,” Yaeger said, “We had one one-on-ones, and [Bryant] couldn’t handle our offense. When we are in system, our offense is a very hard thing to stop.”

The Bearcats maintained the momentum going into the third set, taking a 9-2 lead. Despite going down early, Bryant chipped away throughout the set, using a 3-0 lead to cut the deficit to 16-12. Not long after, another four-point run allowed the Bulldogs to make it a two-point game. However, that was all the points Bryant got as BU capped off the set win with a 6-0 run to take the set 25-17 and go up two sets to one.

“However, when we were not in system and we struggled in serve receive and couldn’t pass the ball, that’s always when Bryant really took advantage of us and was able to put a lot of points on the board,” Yaeger said.

In the penultimate set, after Binghamton went up 4-1, Bryant utilized a 4-0 run to go up 5-4. The Bulldogs did not give up the lead after this point, despite BU tying the game at 17 late in the set with a 4-0 run. However, Bryant would not let the Bearcats regain the lead, prevailing in the set 25-22.

“Going into the fifth set, we knew what Bryant looked like,” Yaeger said. “We knew what we were going to get from [Bryant]. We just had to win the server pass game, and we did.”

In the fifth and final set to break the tiebreaker, the Bearcats went up 6-1 to gain a significant advantage. Bryant made an effort to claw back, cutting it to 10-8. However, BU would not relinquish its lead, going on a 5-2 run to pull out a 15-10 set win along with the match victory.

“[Bryant] served really well, but we were probably more in system than they were,” Yaeger said. “I really felt that we were more aggressive in the fifth set.”

Ilieva led the way with her ninth double-double of the year, tallying 18 kills and 10 digs. Schabort added a double-double of her own with 13 kills and 16 digs. Lastly, Dlouha tallied 12 kills with a .600 hitting percentage, playing error-free volleyball with zero attack errors. Scully made this possible with 42 assists on the evening.

“We really worked hard the last couple weeks to get [Schabort] better, to get her more confident,” Yaeger said. “I’m so proud of her for putting on that performance. We couldn’t have done what we did last night without her.”

Binghamton will return home for its final two-game home stand starting on Friday, Nov. 8 against UMBC. First serve is set for 6 p.m. at the Events Center in Vestal, New York.

“They’re really hard workers,” said Binghamton head coach Mary Grimes. “Day in and day out, they come in and they work. Everything that I present to them, they’re embracing it.”

On the coaching side, BU parted ways with Bethann Shapiro Ord after the end of the 2023-24 season and hired Grimes, who spent the past three years as the head coach at Le Moyne, where she spearheaded the program as it made the leap to Division I just this past season. Grimes was named the Northeast Conference coach of the year, leading the program to the NEC title game in its inaugural season at the Division I level.

“I come in with energy and excitement every single day, and I think that carries over,” Grimes said. “I don’t think they want somebody coming in, moping around, you know. So if I can bring that energy, it’s contagious.”

Binghamton has had its fair share of players coming in and out of the program. Notably, the Bearcats lost star guard Denai Bowman, who graduated this past spring after completing her fifth and final season. Bowman was a staple in BU’s lineup during her time with the program, racking up four America East all-conference honors. She was also named to the AE all-defensive team four times throughout her career.

BU also lost junior guard Ella Wanzer to the transfer portal. Wanzer, who committed to Delaware for the upcoming season, led BU in three-pointers during the 2023-24 campaign with 72.

“It’s just whatever game that they can be successful at,” Grimes said. “That’s how we’re going to approach it. As long as we have a team understanding, or team feel, that at the end of the day, it says, ‘Bearcats won,’ then I think we’ll be successful.”

After losing Bowman and Wanzer, Binghamton has brought in three freshman newcomers — guard Samantha Baker, forward Marisa Smith and center Abby Misier. At 6-foot-5, Misier will provide much-needed height for BU. Bolstering the incoming class, Grimes also brought with her sophomore guard Leah Middleton and junior guard Kaia Goode, who both played under her at Le Moyne. The pair of transfers will look to impact the team immediately.

“We kind of just said, ‘Okay, Abby, you’re a freshman, but you’re like, [6-foot-5], and now you got to be in the post,’” Grimes said. “It just creates a lot of mismatches and then defensively, whatever is going to work to help us win — man, zone. [Goode] has been the starting point guard for me for the past two years, and she probably didn’t think she was going to start as a freshman, but she’s a winner, and that’s what I love about her the most.”

BU returners include redshirt junior guard Jadyn Weltz, who was named to the preseason all-conference first team late in October after averaging 10.7 points, 4.5 assists and 4.7 rebounds a game in the 2023-24 season. Another notable returner is senior forward Genevieve Coleman, who earned a third-team all-conference selection last season. Expect both players to be a staple in the 2024-25 lineup.

“We’re just going to take it game by game and figure out what’s our best matchup,” Grimes said. “Some games it might be [junior forward Camryn Fauria] at the five. It might be [Coleman] at the four. We’re just trying to figure out what works best.”

The Bearcats’ success in 2024-25 will depend on underclassmen stepping up and playing bigger roles. This includes sophomore guards Yanniah Boyd and Bella Pucci, who are poised to see more minutes on the court as BU looks to replace the production of Bowman and Wanzer in the backcourt.

“I just think what I’ve learned in these past few months is that the community really comes out and supports,” Grimes said. “I’m just hoping to put out a good product that they can cheer on.”

Binghamton will open its season against the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown on Monday, Nov. 4. Tip-off is set for 6:07 p.m. at the Events Center in Vestal, New York.

“I’m a really good playmaker,” Lemond said. “I like to make my teammates better. I like to get shots for my teammates. I could just make plays for myself, both on offense and defense, and I feel like that’s what I do the best.”

From a young age, Lemond had a basketball in his hands — his father Troy played professionally in Venezuela. Lemond was also inspired by LeBron James, who he considers to be the greatest basketball player of all time.

“LeBron James inspired me a lot,” Lemond said. “I would also say, my dad … Being around him since I was a kid, and he always had the ball in my hand. That was just one thing that made me glued to the instinct of the game of basketball.”

With the loss of guard Symir Torrence, who led the America East in assists with 7.2 per game, the fifth-best in the entire nation, Lemond will look to fill his shoes. As a true point guard, Lemond will run Binghamton’s fast-paced offense, which was middle of the pack in the AE last year, scoring an average of 72.1 points a game.

“I just want to come in and do what the coaches in the team need me to do,” Lemond said. “I feel like our roles are pretty much similar, me and [Torrence], because he [was fifth in] the nation in assists. That’s something I like to do. I like to pass a lot. So I feel like I can come in and do a really good job at that.”

Lemond showed promise in his freshman season, averaging 8.8 minutes a game, during which he averaged 1.5 points, 1 rebound and just under an assist per game on 45.5 percent shooting from the field. Notable performances include a nine-point, six-rebound game against Virginia Lynchburg and a five-point, four-rebound and three-assist stat line against UNCW.

“We had a coaching change, and I just kind of wanted a new environment and a new and better fit for me, honestly, overall,” Lemond said.

Outside of basketball, Lemond’s hobbies consist of listening to music, spending time with his family and journaling to help him prepare mentally and emotionally.

“I just like to listen to music and hang out with friends and family,” Lemond said. “I like to go outside a lot, go on walks. I journal a lot.”

When asked about his goals for the upcoming season, Lemond said he wants to be the best version of himself through his leadership on the court.

“My goal for myself is just to do the best that I can,” Lemond said. “I want to do the best that I can in my role and be the best version of myself, whether that’s on offense, defense or just being a great overall leader.”

The ultimate team goal remains the same — winning the AE title and making it to March Madness.

“I would say the team goal is just winning,” Lemond said. “The end goal is the America East Championship … I feel like the main important thing is just getting one percent better every day and just making sure that I stick to that standard.”

When asked to give a message to Bearcats fans for this upcoming season, Lemond provided a simple but strong-headed response.

“We need everybody to come out and support,” Lemond said. “We got a great group of guys this year. We’re gonna get a lot of wins, and we’re gonna make history this year.”

“I’m really happy that we were able to do it in three on the road,” said Binghamton head coach Allie Yaeger. “Right now, across the conference, everyone is winning at home and losing on the road, so I feel like we’re kind of the first team to break that trend that’s going on with like the top-five teams.”

Set one began with Albany (9-12, 3-4 AE) having a slight edge, going up 5-1 in the early going. While the Bearcats (14-9, 4-2 AE) kept things close, they trailed until the middle of the set. The momentum began to shift courtesy of consecutive kills from sophomore middle blocker Misa Dlouha and sophomore outside hitter Ella Schabort tied the match at 15-15. Later in the frame, with Albany leading 18-17, the Bearcats went on a 4-0 run to go up 21-18. The visitors held the lead from that point on, closing out the set with another 4-0 run to take set one 25-19.

“Albany played with a lot of passion,” Yaeger said. “[Albany] worked really hard last night, and it showed in our scores early on in both the first and second sets, and when they started to come back in the third set.”

The start of the second set was characterized by back and forth from the SUNY rivals. After the Great Danes won the first point, BU and Albany traded 3-0 runs to put the score at 4-3 in favor of the hosts. Not long after, the Great Danes began to pull away, scoring five straight points to go up 11-7, forcing a BU timeout. Binghamton found its spark late in the set with a kill from Dlouha leading to a 3-0 run to cut Albany’s lead to 19-17. The Bearcats continued to put on the pressure with a 7-0 run to force match point. A kill from Dlouha sealed the set for BU at 25-21.

“I’m really happy that the girls fought even being down the way we were in the first and second set,” Yaeger said. “We got to a point where we just kind of played error-free volleyball, and we let Albany make mistakes.”

Binghamton did not let up in set three as it looked for the sweep. The Bearcats went on a 3-0 run to begin the set, led by a pair of kills from fifth-year outside hitter Tsvetelina Ilieva. After the 6-6 point, BU began to cement its lead, going on a 5-1 run to go up 11-7, forcing the Great Danes to burn a timeout. The visitors continued to outpace the hosts, nearly going up double digits in the set at 22-13, forcing Albany’s second timeout of the set. Albany, however, did not go down without a fight, going on a 4-0 run coming out of the timeout to make it 22-17. Ultimately, it was too little too late as BU earned the 25-19 set win to complete the 3-0 sweep.

“When we almost had them finished, [Albany] was very feisty, and they wouldn’t go away, which is a really good thing to have as a team,” Yaeger said. “They played defense against us. They were very, very scrappy, so we had to rise to their level of intensity.”

Leading the way on offense for BU were Ilieva and Dlouha with 12 and 11 kills, respectively. With her parents flying in from the Czech Republic for the match, Dlouha hit .526 to mark her second-straight game with double-digit kills and a hitting percentage greater than .500.

“[Dlouha] did a great job last night,” Yaeger said. “I love being able to look at [junior setter/right side hitter Lottie Scully] and say, ‘keep setting Misha the ball again.’ Her parents flew in from the Czech Republic yesterday. They were there to watch her play and that was really special for her.”

Binghamton will conclude its two-game road trip against Bryant on Friday, Nov. 1. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Chace Athletic Center in Smithfield, Rhode Island.

“It’s awesome to get back into the win column,” said Binghamton head coach Allie Yaeger. “We definitely had to make some changes and do some different things, and we tried a different lineup today. Overall, I’m very happy with it, and that we were able to do it in three.”

BU (13-9, 3-2 AE) and NJIT (5-18, 0-5 AE) traded points to begin the first set with the score tied at nine early on. However, the Bearcats soon turned it up a gear, going on a 9-2 run to take a commanding 18-11 lead. Binghamton closed the set on a 3-0 run, with kills from freshman right side hitter Viktoria Dimitrova and sophomore middle blocker Misa Dlouha, to take set one by double-digits at 25-15.

“We had to find the momentum,” Yaeger said. “We kept finding ways to break our momentum early in the sets, like missing our serve or getting blocked or something like that. Once we would get going, we were playing really good volleyball, and we were able to get over the hump — the tide scores and everything — and then kind of just run with it.”

To kick off set two, the Bearcats and Highlanders went back and forth once again, almost mirroring set one with the score knotted at nine at one point once again. A service ace for BU followed by an error in favor of the Highlanders from Dimitrova continued the deadlock, making it 11-11. Binghamton slowly pulled away in the middle of the frame, taking a five-point lead at 21-16. The hosts stayed in front the rest of the way, taking set two 25-19.

“We just let them hang around a lot and we need to do a better job just having more intensity,” Yaeger said. “I keep telling them, it starts with our defensive intensity … It was all about finding our momentum, and I feel like we never could really find it until the 14-14 phase of the game.”

After exchanging points for the third consecutive set, Dlouha gave BU a 12-10 lead with her fifth ace of the match. Similar to the previous two sets, with the score at 13-13 apiece, Binghamton pulled away with an 8-0 run, including two aces and a kill from fifth-year outside hitter Tsvetelina Ilieva to go up 21-13. Binghamton would keep its momentum, as a clean kill from Dimitrova sealed the 25-16 set win and victory for the Bearcats overall.

“We were able to set all those people because passing was so good,” Yaeger said. “Our service receive really came through today. That was huge for us today. But we can’t do all that if the passing is not there.”

The Bearcats saw efficient offensive production across the board as Ilieva had 12 kills and four aces. Dlouha was not far behind her with 11 kills and five aces. In addition, Dimitrova and graduate student middle blocker Johanna Remy added eight kills apiece. Junior setter Lottie Scully made this possible with her passing, racking up 37 assists.

“Based off of the last three matches that we played, the box score looks exactly the same,” Yaeger said. “We’ve really emphasized other people contributing, and that it can’t just always go to [Ilieva], even though she can put the ball away most of the time, which is great. We’ve just got to continue to distribute the ball as much as possible.”

Binghamton will hit the road to take on Albany on Friday, Oct. 25. First serve is set for 6 p.m. at Broadview Center in Albany, New York.

“It could have gone either way,” said Binghamton head coach Allie Yaeger. “It was our unforced errors, unfortunately, that allowed [UNH] to take the wins in all three sets.”

The lead teetered between Binghamton (12-8, 2-2 AE) and UNH (12-7, 3-1 AE) to start the match. The opening set was characterized by a variety of challenges as the Wildcats were successful with their first two challenges, while also winning their third challenge to the tie game at nine. Later in the frame, consecutive aces from fifth year outside hitter Tsvetelina Ilieva, then made it 18-14 to give the Bearcats some breathing room. The set went into overtime as things went back and forth, but UNH gained momentum down the stretch to take set one 28-26.

“I felt like we kind of controlled the first set a lot,” Yaeger said. “We had a lead in both the first and second sets, like later on by two points, like 20 to 18, and we just couldn’t finish. We missed serves, which we can’t do, and we couldn’t find our way out of a couple of different rotations.”

BU jumped out to a 5-2 lead in set two but UNH quickly responded with a 5-0 run to go up 7-5. The Bearcats and Wildcats continued to go back and forth as a drop in kill from freshman right side hitter Viktoria Dimitrova tied things at 15. Both teams then traded runs once again with a 3-0 run giving BU a 20-17 lead. However, UNH quickly got back into it with a 7-1 run to retake the lead at 24-21. Despite two kills from Ilieva to keep the visitors in the set, an attack error from Dimitrova gave the Wildcats the set victory at 25-23.

“It was just unfortunate because we just couldn’t put enough balls away when we really needed to put balls away,” Yaeger said. “We were not connecting well when it comes to our setters and our hitters on a couple of missed opportunities that we had.”

Set three saw more of the same as UNH took an early 5-2 lead. However, the Bearcats used a 7-0 run to take the lead at 9-6. The Wildcats slowly regained the lead as the set went on, going up by as much as four at 18-14 and then 23-19 to force a BU timeout. Coming out of the timeout, Binghamton was unable to regain any real momentum falling 25-21 and suffering a sweep at the hands of UNH.

“I was proud of how focused the girls played throughout the match and how well they knew what New Hampshire was going to do,” Yaeger said. “Unfortunately, it was our errors at the end, for sure.

Ilieva led all players with 25 kills in just three sets, her 17th match of the year with double-digit kills and her third straight match with 20 or more kills. However, the team struggled overall, posting a .164 hitting percentage.

“We just need a little contribution from a couple of other people on the court,” Yaeger said. “We can’t always just rely on [Ilieva] all the time, even though she played unbelievable. She’s such an amazing player, and she continues to impress me every single day. We’ve just got to find a way to help her out and to find a way to win.”

Binghamton will stay on the road, taking on Colgate on Wednesday, Oct. 16. First serve is set for 7 p.m. at Cotterell Court at Reid Athletic Center in Hamilton, New York.

Coming off its first win in conference play against Albany, the Binghamton volleyball team went 1-1 over the weekend, falling to UMBC in a sweep on Friday night but bouncing back and earning a 3-1 victory over Bryant on Sunday afternoon.

“Friday night was definitely disappointing,” said Binghamton head coach Allie Yaeger. “I’m really glad that we could bounce back the way we did today.”

To start the weekend against the reigning America East champions in UMBC (4-10, 3-0 AE) on Friday, Binghamton (12-6, 2-1 AE) was unable to build momentum, falling in three sets against the Retrievers — 25-20, 25-21 and 25-21. Despite all three sets being relatively close, the Bearcats could not find a way to pull away late.

“We didn’t show up,” Yaeger said. “It wasn’t our day. We can’t do that anymore, especially with conference matches. It’s really disappointing — our performance on Friday night. What’s really disappointing with it is that we didn’t play well at all, and we were still kind of in it, and in every single set.”

Fifth-year outside hitter Tsvetelina Ilieva led the way on offense for the Bearcats, recording 18 kills, but the Bearcats were held to just a .115 hitting percentage as a team. UMBC also beat Binghamton in kills, digs and assists to earn the victory on their home court.

“I think that maybe we underestimated UMBC because they didn’t have a great preseason,” Yaeger said. “UMBC executed really well. They played flawless against us. Everything went their way, and they played really well, and we just didn’t step up to the occasion. So yeah, it is a huge rivalry. I’m sick of losing in that gym.”

To close out the weekend on Sunday, Binghamton got back in the win column with a 3-1 win over Bryant (14-5, 1-1 AE). After winning the first set in overtime fashion 33-31, the Bearcats struggled mightily in set two, falling 25-8. However, BU got back on track in sets three and four winning 27-25 and 25-17 to win the match overall.

“That’s a good Bryant team and I could not be happier with that win,” Yaeger said. “Today’s win was a must-win, in my opinion. I continue to say that I want to go undefeated at home in conference this year. So far, we are in conference play, and we’ve got to keep it that way.”

Despite being held to a -.261 hitting percentage in set two, the Bearcats’ strong performance in every other set allowed the team to maintain a .254 hitting percentage. With three Bearcats tallying double-digit kills, Ilieva spearheaded the offense again, tallying 21 kills. Sophomore outside hitter Ella Schabort and sophomore middle blocker Misa Dlouha each added 10 kills as well.

“Minus the second set that we played, which we kind of didn’t show up for, I thought the girls fought really hard to come back after that second set and kind of clear their minds and start from scratch in that third set,” Yaeger said. “I was really proud of what they were able to pull off today.”

Yaeger also talked about the high level of talent in the AE this year, and what it will take for the Bearcats to have a successful conference season and make a deep postseason run. One major aspect she mentioned was her team’s level of intensity.

“There’s so many good teams in this conference this year, and the levels of intensity that other teams play at is something that we need to do a better job at,” Yaeger said. “We’re really good at a lot of things. We’ve got to stay consistent with everything.”

Before resuming conference play, Binghamton will hit the road for a midweek matchup against Temple on Wednesday, Oct. 9. First serve is set for noon at McGonigle Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

During Homecoming weekend, the Binghamton volleyball team started America East play with a 3-0 sweep against SUNY rival, the University at Albany, on Friday evening in front of its home crowd. The Bearcats’ offense overpowered the Great Danes, allowing the hosts to pull away quickly in all three sets to earn its first win in conference play.

“It was great,” said Binghamton head coach Allie Yaeger. “We were clean, we were sharp and we were smart. We executed really well. The girls did everything that was [in] the game plan that we planned out for Albany.”

Binghamton (10-5, 1-0 AE) went up 8-2 in the early going of set one with freshman right side hitter Viktoria Dimitrova adding three kills to spark the offense. However, midway through the set, a run from Albany (4-9, 0-1 AE) cut BU’s lead to two at 17-15. After this point, however, the Bearcats began to pull away, closing out the set on an 8-1 run, with a kill from sophomore middle blocker Misa Dlouha giving BU the 25-16 set one victory.

“I think [Dimitrova] is going to be such a great volleyball player for this program and for this league,” Yaeger said. “[Dimitrova is] just getting started. I think she’s finally just catching the hang of our offense and our blocking system. What [Dimitrova] is doing a really good job at is hitting different zones and hitting different angles.”

To begin set two, the Bearcats and Great Danes traded points with things knotted at 6-6. However, a 5-0 run propelled Binghamton to an 11-6 lead, forcing Albany to burn its first timeout of the set. Coming out of the timeout, BU maintained its momentum, with an 8-3 run, to extend its lead to 19-9. The rest of the set saw a flurry of kills from fifth-year outside hitter Tsvetelina Ilieva and Dimitrova, with Binghamton hitting .478 en route to a 25-12 set win.

“I think it helps that they’re excited to get conference play going,” Yaeger said. “It’s exciting to be home in front of our home crowd. The girls played really well tonight.”

Both teams briefly traded points in set three once again, with BU leading at 3-2. BU then went on a 7-0 run to take a commanding 10-2 lead. The Bearcats refused to relinquish their advantage, maintaining a 20-14 lead later in the frame. Binghamton continued its strong serve and pass game, piling on the points while keeping Albany at bay, winning set three 25-15 and the match overall.

“We have so many good hitters, and I say that all the time we got to be able to pass the ball and play defense,” Yaeger said. “Our blocking is there. We’re one of the best blocking teams in the country, which is very fun for us, but our defense behind the block, it just needs to get a little better, always.”

The offensive trio of Ilieva, sophomore outside hitter Ella Schabort and Dimitrova added 16, 10 and nine kills respectively. Yaeger attributed the offensive distribution to the strong passing, courtesy of junior setter/right side hitter Lottie Scully, who tallied a season-high 38 assists on the evening.

“[Scully] was able to distribute the ball to everybody because the passing was really good tonight,” Yaeger said. “We got to continue to be the best passing team in this league and stay in system, and that way [Scully] can set all the hitters as much as she wants to.”

Binghamton will resume conference play against the defending conference champions, UMBC, on Friday, Oct. 4, looking to avenge last year’s loss in the AE title game. First serve is set for 7 p.m. at Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena in Baltimore, Maryland.

In its final match before America East conference play, the Binghamton volleyball team defeated Le Moyne in four sets on Tuesday afternoon. After winning the first set 25-16, BU dropped a tight second set, 25-22. However, the team bounced right back, dominantly winning the final two sets — 25-9 and 25-13 — to secure its ninth win.

“We took the opportunity tonight to get a couple of other people in and kind of mess around with a couple of different lineups,” head coach Allie Yaeger said. “Overall, [the match] was good.”

Binghamton (9-5) and Le Moyne (1-9) traded points to begin set one, with the score tied at 9-9 before either team went on a significant run. After this point, the Bearcats went on a 9-0 run to go up 18-9, with slide attacks from sophomore middle blocker Misa Dlouha playing a major role. The Dolphins responded with a 3-0 run to make it 19-12. However, this came too little, too late as BU closed out the set 25-16.

“With the five-one with [junior setter Lottie Scully] being in the front row with [Dlouha] for two rotations, the whole point is to try and feed [Dlouha] the ball as much as possible,” Yaeger said. “The best offensive hit that [Dlouha] comes through on is the slide. That’s one of our go-to plays.”

To start set two, Bearcats got off to a slow start with the Dolphins taking a 9-5 lead early in the set. Le Moyne maintained this lead as Binghamton’s defense struggled, allowing 18 kills and three service aces throughout the set. BU came up with a late comeback, cutting Le Moyne’s lead to one at 22-21 to force a timeout. Despite this, the Dolphins were able to close out the set on a 3-1 run for the 25-22 set victory.

“I just kind of wanted to try a couple other things out in the first couple sets,” Yaeger said. “We just couldn’t execute them, which was okay.”

The visiting Bearcats bounced back in set three, dominating in all aspects to regain the lead and win 25-9. Binghamton never trailed in the set, taking an early lead and preserving it the entire way. BU had a .520 hitting percentage in the set with 15 kills while its defense held Le Moyne to a -.115 hitting percentage.

In set four, Binghamton maintained its momentum from the set before. The visitors replicated their offensive dominance with 15 kills on a .538 hitting percentage en route to a 25-13 victory. The Bearcats also totaled six blocks and held the Dolphins to a -.036 hitting percentage, keeping Le Moyne from going on any significant runs. A kill from freshman right-side hitter Viktoria Dimitrova and a Le Moyne error sealed the match in four sets for BU.

“We went right back to our normal five-one with the regular starters in the third and fourth sets,” Yaeger said. “They were able to dominate and completely take over, which I knew they would.”

Three Bearcats finished with double-digit kills. Fifth-year outside hitter Tsvetelina Ilieva led the way with 24 kills, her second straight match with more than 20 kills. Sophomore outside hitters Ella Schabort and Dimitrova each had 10 kills. In addition, going into conference play after nearly five weeks on the road, Yaeger asserted that the team is excited to play in front of the home crowd and bring home a win.

“The girls are so excited to be home this weekend,” Yaeger said. “They can’t wait. It’s all they talk about. Hopefully, we can put on a good show for the home crowd. We’re excited to get conference play started. It’s what we work so hard up until this point for.”

Binghamton will return home for the first time since Aug. 31 to take on Albany in its AE opener on Friday, Sept. 27. First serve is set for 6 p.m. at the Events Center in Vestal, New York.

The Binghamton volleyball team took on Cornell and competed in the Rose Hill Classic, registering a 1-2 record over the past week. The Bearcats fell to Cornell in four sets on Wednesday to kick off the week, but got back on track, sweeping Fordham at its home tournament on Friday. However, on Saturday, BU was unable to finish off West Virginia after taking an early lead, falling in five sets.

“The games that we had against Cornell, they’re not going to be acceptable once we hit conference play,” said Binghamton head coach Allie Yaeger. “We got to be able to show up for every single match.”

On Wednesday evening, the Bearcats (8-5) were defeated in a midweek matchup against the Big Red (6-3) in four sets — 25-20, 22-25, 20-25 and 18-25. After winning a tight first set, Binghamton was unable to keep the pace offensively, tallying 39 kills with a .156 hitting percentage, compared to the Big Red’s 56 kills on a .270 clip.

“That was a tough match for us,” Yaeger said. “We struggled to show up. It just wasn’t our night. We couldn’t get anything going … [Cornell] just completely outplayed us in every single category possible, and we just really had a hard time responding to them.”

In its first matchup of the Rose Hill Classic on Friday afternoon, Binghamton made easy work of Fordham (4-5), earning a 3-0 sweep — 25-14, 25-16, 25-19. Despite getting to the Fordham gym late due to navigation issues on the bus, the Bearcats still dominated offensively by hitting .305 with just nine errors through three sets. The defense held Fordham to a .080 hitting percentage while totaling 10 blocks.

“I was really proud of the girls on how they got in there and did exactly what we talked about,” Yaeger said. “They were focused, they were ready to go, and they got the job done in three [sets]. Everything was working, and especially bouncing off of, the Wednesday loss against Cornell. I was really proud of everything.”

To close out the tournament, BU took on West Virginia (6-5), ultimately falling in five sets. The last time the two teams met was in 2022 when the Mountaineers won in four sets. After winning an overtime thriller of a first set 35-33, Binghamton dropped set two 25-20. The Bearcats bounced right back, winning set three 25-23 to take a one-set lead. However, the Mountaineers came back, winning set four 25-17 and set five 15-12 to secure the victory.

“When we played well, we played really well,” Yaeger said. “The sets that we lost, we just beat way too many errors, and we couldn’t pass the ball. We couldn’t be in system. It was nothing that West Virginia did. They didn’t outplay us. They didn’t overpower us. We did a lot of things to ourselves, which we have to get better at.”

Fifth-year outside hitter Tsvetelina Ilieva tied her career high with 27 kills against West Virginia. For the entire week, Ilieva dominated the stat sheet on offense, accumulating 64 kills over three games. Junior setter/right-side hitter Lottie Scully was a major contributor to Ilieva’s success as she had a season-high 37 assists against West Virginia. Scully is second in the America East conference with 6.75 assists per set.

“[Ilieva’s] so good right now,” Yaeger said. “[Ilieva’s] just at the top of her game. She’s so confident with her swings and what she does, and she knows what she can do. She knows herself best. [Scully] spread the offense out really well. She contributed aces in there for us as well at the serving line. I think [Scully’s] on her way this season to being one of the best setters in this conference.”

Binghamton will finish off its nonconference slate with a matchup against Le Moyne on Tuesday, Sept. 24. First serve is set for 6 p.m. at Ted Grant Court in Syracuse, New York.