This season the Bearcats have expressed their revulsion for a variety of canines, including Saint Bernards and Retrievers; however, the question remains if the team can hold it down against the Great Danes. Head coach Glenn Kiriyama’s volleyball army treks northeast for part two of the America East Conference showdown against rival Albany tonight.

Kiriyama cannot recall the last time Binghamton defeated Albany on its home court, but according to the coach there is a good chance that the team will pull through.

‘We want to play better this time,’ Kiriyama said. ‘It is definitely an important game.’

Having most recently swept Hartford, Albany (AE 5-3) sits in fourth place in the America East, one game behind the Bearcats (AE 6-3). In their last showdown, the Danes defeated the Bearcats in four games and snapped BU’s 17-match home conference winning streak.

The strength of Albany lies within its middle hitters. It has the second highest hitting percentage in the America East with Great Danes senior Ashley Crenshaw and junior Kamisha Kellam as the top hitters of the conference. Kellam recorded a team-high 15 kills and nine total blocks to lead Albany in their last game against Hartford. Albany also stands third overall in kills and assists in the AE conference. With high standings, they will prove a tough opponent to beat for the Bearcats.

The Bearcats have impenetrable blockers who have proved to be as effective as the defensive line of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Senior Jacki Kane and sophomore Dawn Lammert place first overall in the America East Conference for blocks totaling to about 300 so far this season. Binghamton also places second in the AE for total number of assists. Kane, with 585 career blocks, is just 16 away from Julie Van Schaick’s ’87 second place record on the all-time block list.

Freshman Michelle McDonough lately has become a wielding force for the volleyball team as the Bearcat was named rookie of the week in the America East Conference. With an average of 3.80 kills per game and 2.70 digs per game in the last three matches (not to mention a total of 19 kills and 13 digs against New Hampshire in last week’s game), she has proved to be a formidable player.

With upcoming leaders like Lammert and McDonough, the Bearcats not only seem to have promising matches this season, but also look to have a great future ahead of them.

The Bearcats are looking forward to going up against the Great Danes at 7 tonight. They will return to the West Gym to face off against first place Stony Brook Thursday, Nov. 8, at 7 p.m.