Every year, teams search for that mysterious ingredient that separates the champions from the rest. Some point to talent, others to leadership, others to character and still others to team chemistry. Well, it seems that, just to be safe, the America East champion Binghamton University women’s volleyball team covered all its bases.

The talent was never in question on this team. The coaches in America East knew it — they predicted the Bearcats to finish first in the conference this year. History certainly didn’t present any arguments against it, as three of this year’s starters made the All-Conference first team last year as sophomores. Even the team’s coach, Glenn Kiriyama, was coming off a year in which he earned Coach of the Year honors.

The only thing that couldn’t be determined coming into the year was whether or not that talent would shine through. Juniors Michelle McDonough and Anna Lejina, each of whom were named to last year’s All-Conference first team, put those questions to rest, going 1-2 in the conference in total kills by putting up over 400 each. In fact, many of the Bearcats’ struggles this year can be attributed to too great a confidence in the talent of those two players — the offense ran through them, making their offense predictable for defenses. While the team acknowledged the issue, it was difficult to move away from their two stars. Junior Lindsey Mueller paced the offense, also coming off first team honors last year.

Leadership wasn’t hard to come by for the Bearcats either. Junior co-captain Michelle McDonough was an obvious leader on the court, raising her level of play whenever her team needed her the most and firing up her teammates during matches. Senior and fellow co-captain Dawn Lammert was a veteran presence on the team, and with her 3.94 GPA and various accolades for her academic accomplishments, she set an example for the rest of her team. Senior libero Brianna Strong also played an important role here, especially because, entering the year, she was the only member of the team to have made it to the NCAA tournament in her playing career.

Stemming from the leadership was character. In addition to Lammert’s honors for her performance in school, McDonough was named to the conference’s All-Academic team. No matter what struggles the team went through, no player was ever heard complaining or criticizing. According to Strong, “I questioned [making the NCAA tournament] at times, because we were in slumps and we had rough moments, but everyone kept telling me ‘Keep your head up, the end is when it matters,’ and that shows.” These are the things you expect to hear from a team that is going to take it all.

All of this comes down from the top. Kiriyama has been a steady force for this team, winning two Coach of the Year awards so far in his time here. Always calm and collected on the court, he sets an example for his team to follow. In part, it is because of this that his team has made the America East tournament in each of the last five years, though he’d never take credit for it.

Maybe what’s most impressive about this team, though, is its chemistry. Through all the ups and downs, the team has always seemed to have fun. Even warm-ups before and during games appeared like a group of kids just hitting a volleyball around, having fun playing the game they love. The group has stuck together. Even wiping down the floor with a towel was a group effort.

But it’s not fair to say that, of all the teams in the America East, it was only Binghamton that possessed all of these traits. There had to be something more, something that other teams simply did not match up to. Whatever this indefinable trait was, it almost certainly came in, surprisingly, a loss. On Oct. 23, the Bearcats found themselves on the road, down 2-0 to the University at Albany. At the time, Albany was the two-time defending champions and a team which the Bearcats had not beaten since 2006. The Bearcats found themselves down two sets to none and on the verge of yet another big loss to the Great Danes. After showing fight in the second set, though, by rallying from down 19-13 to lose just 29-27, BU won the next two sets to tie it. Though they ended up losing the match, this was the second time in two matches they had done this, and the first time they had even pushed Albany to five sets during their losing streak to them.

The next match, the Bearcats would lose at home in a sweep at the hands of Albany, but they didn’t forget what they did on the road that day. About a month later, the team limped into the America East tournament, struggling but fully confident in its ability to win the championship. Every player knew that they would almost certainly have to play Albany in order to win the tournament, and each recalled that five-set loss to Albany, gaining confidence from how well they played that day. It was this confidence that translated into the championship-caliber play that led to two upset wins to take the America East title. Though the team would eventually lose in the first round of the NCAA tournament, it made a statement simply by making it that far, especially considering the path it took to get there.

Next year will be a critical one for the team. Binghamton will have to replace its anchor in the middle, Dawn Lammert, and its veteran leader in Brianna Strong. Returning will be McDonough, Lejina and Mueller, though each will be in their senior and final year here at BU. In the long run, several new players will have to step up to take their places. Alex Roland, a member of this year’s All-Rookie team, will be an integral part of that future, as will any new recruits Kiriyama and his staff bring in for next year. No matter what happens in the future, though, the Bearcats will be able to look back on this season and remember what they accomplished. Because this year, the Bearcats were more than just a talented group of players; they were champions.