The Binghamton University volleyball team found the revival it needed on Wednesday night as it knocked off Siena College in three sets.
After suffering three straight losses at the Georgetown Classic the previous weekend, the Bearcats (5-9) showed up at Siena and appeared determined to break the streak. The Bearcats got off to a strong start, winning the first set of the match 25-18. After fighting back from a 10-5 deficit, the Bearcats would finally grab a 17-15 lead off three straight kills by Binghamton senior Anna Lejina, who led the BU offense with eight kills in the set. After the kills by Lejina, Siena was unable to regain the lead, getting outscored 8-3 after that point.
Prior to the game, Lejina was second in kills per set in the America East Conference. Junior Julie Chambers also added to the Bearcats’ cause in the set with 10 assists. Averaging 9.80 assists per set, Chambers is ranked first in the category in the America East.
In the second set of the match, 12 errors committed by the Saints made Binghamton’s victory the most easily earned of the three. The Bearcats gained the lead immediately on the first play of the game off a block by seniors Mercedes Montford and Lejina, and didn’t let go for the rest of the set, winning it 25-13. Binghamton scored nine of the last 11 points in the set. Chambers added seven more assists to her night, and Lejina and sophomore Alex Roland combined for five blocks.
The last set proved to be the tightest of the three, marked by crucial errors by the Saints and 11 more assists for Chambers, bringing her total to 28 for the night. Neither team seemed able to hold onto the lead, continuing to pass it back and forth until Siena made the first big push, earning five straight points to put the score at 14-10. It was the Saints’ biggest lead thus far. A kill by Lejina, who would finish with 13 for the night, ended Siena’s rally, but the Bearcats still trailed by three. Later, with Siena once again up by four, three consecutive errors by the Saints would result in a Saints timeout, their lead withered to one point. The Bearcats earned two consecutive points coming off the timeout, with a kill by Chambers and yet another Siena error giving Binghamton a one-point lead. The Saints would regain the lead one final time at 22-21 before another error began a five-point Binghamton run that eventually won it for the Bearcats, with a final score of 25-22.
‘It was our best blocking performance of the year,’ head coach Glenn Kiriyama said, according to a Binghamton University press release. ‘We played a nice match overall and it felt good to [get] a quick win under our belt. The girls played well together and showed the ability to perform when needed.’
Binghamton played well statistically, posting a positive hit percentage in each set and .204 for the match. The squad put up 10 blocks, led by Roland’s five, and committed half as many errors as the Saints.
The victory was a big one for the Bearcats, bringing their record to 5-9 on the year and providing them with the momentum they will need as they enter conference play on the road against UMBC on Oct. 3. The Bearcats were favored to win the conference in the America East Preseason Coaches’ Poll, just ahead of rival University of Albany. BU will have its first home conference game on Friday, Oct. 8 against the University of New Hampshire.
The Bearcats’ next match is scheduled against Syracuse for Wednesday, Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. as they wrap up the non-conference section of their schedule.