Binghamton volleyball continued its nonconference slate over the weekend, going 1-2 in the Black Knight Invitational. After earning its first victory of the season in the opening game with a sweep against Rider, the Bearcats fell during their final two matches against Hofstra and Army in four sets each.

Binghamton (1-6) opened the invitational on Friday night, defeating Rider (1-4) in three sets — 25-23, 25-16 and 25-17 — to earn its first victory of the campaign. The Bearcats held Rider to a mere .104 hitting percentage, and their victory was marked by significant scoring runs, going on 13-4 and 10-2 runs to end the second and third sets.

“Momentum is everything in this sport, so to have the momentum at the end of a set is crucial,” wrote Binghamton head coach Allie Yaeger. “We played error free during those final pushes at the end, which is always our goal once we hit point 20.”

On Saturday, the Bearcats took on Hofstra (4-0) in a rematch of their Aug. 31 duel at the Events Center, in which BU fell to the Pride in four sets. BU narrowly dropped the first two sets 25-23 and 25-22. Facing a 22-20 deficit and a second potential sweep loss to Hofstra in the third set, the Bearcats scored five straight to claim the set 25-22.

Despite entering the fourth set with newfound momentum, the Bearcats fell 25-19, dropping their first match of the invitational. After a strong first set in which the Bearcats hit .342 percent, they were unable to break .200 percent in the final three sets.

“We were a lot fresher this second time around with Hofstra,” Yaeger wrote. “That’s a very good and experienced Hofstra team and I’m happy that we were competitive. We are just doing our best to make changes when needed. We are a young, new squad that is deep, so it’s important to see early in the season who can get the job done.”

Closing out the invitational on Sunday, the Bearcats faced off against Army (4-2), falling in four sets. In the first set, BU held a 23-19 lead before surrendering a 6-0 run to lose the set. The Bearcats surrendered a 14-8 run to the Black Knights that tied the second set at 25-25, and brought it back to close out the set with a 27-25 win.

Holding a 22-19 lead, BU allowed a 6-1 run as they lost the third set 25-23. An 8-1 run from the Bearcats, propelled by two kills from senior outside hitter Merima Smajlovic, cemented a 10-4 lead early in the fourth set. Army, however, went on to win 15 of the following 23 points, taking a 19-18 lead that it did not relinquish as the Bearcats dropped the fourth and final set 25-21.

Leading BU’s offense over the weekend was Smajlovic, with at least 14 kills in each game, amassing a team-high 43 kills over three games. Freshman right side hitter Maya Coblentz-Brown made her presence known for Binghamton with a career-high 21 kills against Army, while also accumulating 39 kills in three games.

“[Smajlovic] and [Coblentz-Brown] were outstanding this weekend,” Yaeger wrote. “They are both really starting to adapt to our offense and defense. [Smajlovic] brings such great leadership and experience, while I am just as pleased with [Coblentz-Brown] and her immediate impact she has had with us.”

Binghamton looks to grow its win count when it hosts the three-match Binghamton Invitational this weekend, where it will first take on Mercyhurst on Friday, Sept. 12. First serve is set for 10 a.m. at the Events Center in Vestal, New York.