Binghamton volleyball continued its America East slate on Sunday in a matchup against Bryant, falling to the Bulldogs in three sets. The Bearcats lost a tight first set in which both teams traded the lead multiple times before dropping the next two without ever holding a lead.

“We weren’t good enough today,” Binghamton head coach Allie Yaeger wrote to Pipe Dream. “That was a very good, strong, error-free Bryant team, and it was tough to compete with them today.”

The first set proved to be the closest of the day for Binghamton (7-11, 2-2 AE), trading points with Bryant (11-9, 3-1 AE) throughout the entirety of the set for a total of six lead changes. Binghamton took a 16-15 lead after a three-point run, thanks in part to a pair of attack errors from Bryant, followed by the teams continuously trading blows and a tie game at 19-19.

A kill from freshman right side hitter Maya Coblentz-Brown then gave Binghamton a slight 20-19 edge over their opponents. Despite snagging the late lead, the Bearcats were outscored with a 6-1 run to close out the set, putting Bryant on top 25-21.

“Our hitting and our offense [are] never the problem,” Yaeger wrote. “Today our serve receive broke down at crucial moments.”

To open the second set, the Bearcats quickly went down 2-0 thanks to a pair of kills from Bryant, but they trailed not far behind, staying within striking range of the Bulldogs at a score of 8-6. However, Bryant then went on another 6-1 run, taking a comfortable 14-7 lead over Binghamton.

Binghamton answered back with a 6-3 run, thanks in part to three kills from sophomore right side hitter Viktoria Dimitrova, all assisted by graduate student setter Alexandra Koleva, before allowing Bryant to go on yet another 6-1 run to take a 23-14 lead. The Bearcats fought back, scoring twice more, but Bryant still managed to cruise to a 25-16 victory.

“We need to come out stronger at the beginning of sets,” Yaeger wrote. “Find momentum and not give up easy points.”

Looking for a comeback victory in the third set, the Bearcats quickly went down 4-1 as Bryant landed three kills in rapid succession. A kill and a service ace brought Binghamton back within one point of its opponents before the Bulldogs went on a five-point run, taking a 9-3 lead.

Bryant continued to tack on points, going up 18-11, before the Bearcats began to rally with four straight points, thanks largely to three consecutive attack errors from their foes. However, Bryant managed to stave off Binghamton’s rally, going up 22-18 before scoring the last three points and securing the sweep victory.

“We will continue to work hard during the week to prepare for UNH and work on our consistency,” Yaeger wrote.

Binghamton will continue conference play as it looks to bounce back next week against New Hampshire on Friday, Oct. 17. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Events Center in Vestal, New York.