A two-game winning streak doesn’t sound like much, but for the Binghamton volleyball team, it’s about the quality — not the number — of wins. The last two times the Bearcats (10-11, 4-3 America East) took the court, they recorded their highest-quality victories of the year, handing two top teams their first conference losses all season.
In mid-October, they defeated three-time defending AE champion New Hampshire for the first time since 2012. A week later, BU upset then top-ranked Albany on the road, sweeping the Great Danes in straight sets.
“[These wins] give us a lot of confidence going into the stretch run of our conference season,” said BU head coach Glenn Kiriyama. “[The players have] worked hard but they know these matches coming up are just as important.”
Binghamton got off to a lackluster start in AE play, dropping three of its first five contests. During that stretch, the Bearcats won just two of 11 sets.
Heading into its match against the Wildcats (13-10, 4-2 AE), Binghamton was the definite underdog. Despite UNH’s favored status, the Bearcats came through, besting UNH in four sets and turning their season around.
“New Hampshire has won the last three conference championships and we haven’t beaten them for a long time,” Kiriyama said. “[The win] gave [us] a lot of confidence and gave [us] a lot of confidence in the matches since then.”
Just when it looked as if the Bearcats had reached peak form, they registered another impressive showing. BU shut out Albany on the road, recording its first win against the program in two years. The victory was particularly significant, as Albany had dominated BU, 3-1, earlier this season.
It is not often that a team struggles so mightily against an opponent and comes out and dominates them less than a month later. Binghamton managed to accomplish this thanks to its improved offensive performance; the Bearcats have hit .218 in their last two wins — well above their .185 season average.
“It’s always hard to pinpoint exactly what [the key to success] is,” Kiriyama said. “There’s so many various factors that go into a successful offense, but definitely our passing has been a little bit better.”
The catalyst for BU’s offense all year has been junior setter Sarah Ngo, who has recorded 89 assists in BU’s last two wins. She ranks third in the AE with 9.3 assists per set, as well as third in total assists with 660.
“She’s quick, gets to a lot of balls and as long as we get the pass up there, she’s able to make something of it and give our hitters a good chance to get a good swing at it,” Kiriyama said.
On the defensive end, senior libero and team captain Bailey Walker is quietly having an outstanding season for Binghamton. She is second in the conference with 349 total digs. Kiriyama points to her defensive contributions and leadership as driving forces for the squad this year.
“She’s been a nice vocal leader for us on the court,” Kiriyama said. “She does it by example, she works hard, really goes after it on defense and makes some amazing plays.”
Binghamton will look to continue its hot streak against UMass Lowell this weekend. The River Hawks (6-16, 1-6 AE) sit in last place in the conference, but they are coming off their first AE victory — a 3-2 win over Hartford.
Although they’re at the bottom of the conference, the River Hawks pushed Binghamton to the brink the last time the squads faced off. Down 2-1, BU won two consecutive sets to come out on top. Kiriyama acknowledges that Binghamton cannot just expect to win the match.
“That first match against Lowell, it took a major effort; it was exhausting for the team,” he said. “We know how hard Lowell works and we know it’s going to be a tough match.”
Binghamton is set to take on UMass Lowell on Friday. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. from the Costello Athletic Center in Lowell, Massachusetts.