The Binghamton volleyball team traveled to UMass Lowell needing a victory to secure a spot in the America East (AE) tournament. They returned to Binghamton (9-18, 6-6 AE) as the fourth seed in the playoffs after a 3-0 victory gave them the tiebreaker over UMBC. After an up-and-down regular season that saw the Bearcats struggle to find consistency, Binghamton will carry a four-match winning streak into the postseason.
The last-place River Hawks (4-25, 1-11 AE) gave the Bearcats a scare in their last visit — when BU escaped with a five-set victory — so, despite UML’s 1-10 conference record, Binghamton was prepared for a tough match. The match started just like the Bearcats had hoped, with a 25-14 first set victory to bring the Bearcats two sets away from a playoff berth.
“We had to adjust things right before that match against Lowell the last time,” Binghamton head coach Glenn Kiriyama said. “Now we’re more comfortable in our positions.”
UMass Lowell didn’t give up, however, as it came out hot to start the second. A 10-6 advantage grew to 19-15 lead for the River Hawks, but they couldn’t seal the deal. Binghamton finished the set on a 10-3 run to bring the match to 2-0, stealing a set from a struggling UMass Lowell team.
A 25-19 victory in the third set closed the door on any fears that the Bearcats could miss out on the playoffs for just the third time in the last 11 years. Strong efforts from freshman outside hitter Gabby Alicea and sophomore setter Sarah Ngo allowed the Bearcats to easily come away with a road victory.
“They were excited all week long,” Kiriyama said of his team. “They wanted to see how they could do better this time, and they did. [We are] starting to heat up at the right time.”
Alicea finished the day with 16 kills and three blocks, while Ngo added 39 assists and recorded nine digs. The pair of underclassmen both delivered impressive campaigns this season to lead BU to the playoffs.
Next up, Binghamton is set to face a New Hampshire team that finished first in the AE with an 11-1 record in conference play. The Bearcats were unable to win a single set against UNH this season, losing 3-0 in both contests the team has played.
“We’re gonna need to play upper level,” Kiriyama said. “We want to run things better in the middle against them and open things on the outside for us.”
Binghamton is set to travel to New Hampshire on Friday for the first round of the America East tournament. First serve is set for 7 p.m. from Lundholm Gymnasium in Durham, New Hampshire.