When the Binghamton volleyball team, which ranks first in blocking in the America East, was unable to shut the University of New Hampshire down at the net, they dug deep and found other ways to pull out a victory.

The Bearcats (5-13, 3-0 AE) remain undefeated in conference play after a tightly played 3-1 victory over New Hampshire (5-13, 0-3 AE) on Sunday. BU won by the scores 24-30, 30-25, 30-28 and 30-22.

The Bearcats trailed for most of the first game as a result of poor blocking. It seemed as though every ball that was touched on an attack fell out of bounds. Although there were 11 tie scores throughout the game, the Bearcats were unable to pull out the victory early on.

“We just struggled all around, especially when it came to blocking,” said junior outside hitter Kathleen Schauer. “Usually blocking is our asset, but we just need to clamp down on certain skills and talk more on defense.”

The Bearcats started off the second game determined to shake off a terrible first one. Junior middle hitter Jacki Kane slammed the ball down for an uncontested kill for the opening score, and sophomore Katherine Courage followed it up with a service ace. The team never looked back from there, leading New Hampshire by as many as seven points.

Down 28-24 in the third game, BU managed to battle back from near defeat. A kill from sophomore Ashley Allen halted New Hampshire’s momentum, as the Bearcats went on to score six straight points for the victory.

“After getting the first point, we said we’re going to get on this run and not let New Hampshire get any more points,” Schauer said. “We knew we could pull it out.”

The Bearcats ended the 3-1 victory with ease in the fourth game, a match in which they jumped out to a 4-0 start and never let UNH come close.

Senior outside hitter Katie Robertson led the way for the Bearcats with 18 kills, while Kane contributed 15 kills and a .389 clip. Senior middle hitter Megan Hoag picked apart the UNH defense, attacking every open spot on the floor, despite playing the match with a bloody lip; she had a double-double with 17 kills and 14 digs. The defensive line of Jaclyn Strader and Courage combined for 15 and 16 digs, respectively.

New Hampshire’s Sarah Rehn, who leads the team in kills, added an impressive 22 in the losing effort.

BU also was victorious in their contest against the University of Hartford (5-14, 0-4 AE) on Friday night, routing the Hawks in a three-game sweep by the scores of 30-20, 30-26 and 30-26. Hartford was never in the game, as the Bearcats held them to a .038 hitting percentage.

Binghamton has now won five out of its past six matches and has jumped out to an early first place lead in the conference. The Bearcats are currently the only undefeated team in the America East.

“Being 3-0 is huge because we are the only undefeated team in the conference,” Allen said. “Keeping this up in the away games will be crucial.”