After sweeping Stony Brook University on Oct. 28, the Binghamton University volleyball team fell to University of Maryland, Baltimore County at home Sunday in four sets (25-21, 21-25, 25-22, 25-14).
In last Friday’s match, the Bearcats (11-16, 3-6 America East) swept Stony Brook (12-10, 5-3 AE) in three sets (25-21, 25-21, 25-22).
Junior middle blocker Alex Roland spearheaded the Binghamton attack with a match-high .529 hitting percentage and 10 kills. Senior Julie Chambers recorded a team-best 13 digs, while freshman setter Amanda Dettmann dished out 35 assists.
BU’s stout defense proved instrumental in the victory as the squad held Stony Brook to a .206 hitting percentage and tallied seven blocks to the Seawolves’ five.
The victory snapped a three-game skid for the Bearcats, but the struggles would return on Sunday, as they fell to UMBC, 3-1.
In the opening minutes of the first set of Sunday’s match, the Retrievers (13-11, 3-6 AE) jumped out to a 10-6 lead. But consecutive kills from sophomore middle hitter Grace Vickers and freshman outside hitter Kristin Hovie propelled the Bearcats to tie the score at 10. After a Retriever timeout, the two teams traded points until UMBC broke through with a five-point run to grab a 21-17 advantage. BU responded by scoring the next two points to cut the deficit to 21-19, but the Retrievers held onto the lead and captured the first frame, 25-21.
Binghamton opened the second set with a 5-3 lead before the Retrievers countered with two consecutive points to tie the score at five. As was the case in the opening set, both teams would exchange the lead several times, and BU pulled ahead 15-12 after blocks by Vickers and Dettmann.
UMBC responded to the Binghamton surge by scoring six of the next eight points to take an 18-17 advantage. The Bearcats, however, withstood the sudden shift in momentum to retake the lead and the set, 25-21.
BU recorded a .400 hitting percentage in the set while holding the Retrievers to a measly .053 percent.
The competitive intensity that was evident in the previous two sets didn’t reveal itself until the latter part of the third as UMBC stayed in front for much of the frame. But a Dettmann block sparked a BU rally that trimmed the Retrievers’ lead to 17-15, forcing an UMBC timeout.
The Bearcats remained on the Retrievers’ heels, and after kills by Hovie and freshman outside hitter Annelot Nieuwenhuis pulled them to within a point, the Bearcats tied the score at 20 with blocks from Hovie and Vickers. Yet despite Binghamton’s resurgence, UMBC rediscovered its rhythm to take the set, 25-22.
Binghamton head coach Glenn Kiriyama said his team failed to capitalize on the opportunities presented to them in the third frame.
“Just simple execution,” he said. “I thought UMBC played some nice points. We didn’t execute when we had the chance. It comes down to one pass here or there and it makes a big difference in a game like that.”
UMBC carried its momentum into the fourth and final frame. The Retrievers grabbed an 8-4 advantage before Kiriyama called a timeout. When action resumed, the Retrievers continued their fine play by shooting .385 percent from the field and capitalizing on eight Binghamton attack errors to extend their lead by as much as 10.
BU fought back to reduce the deficit to seven, but ultimately dropped the set, 25-14 and the match, 3-1.
Kiriyama said that he attributes the loss to his team’s inability to sustain its intensity for the entire match.
“UMBC outplayed us,” he said. “We knew coming in that they were a good blocking and serving team, and those two areas hurt us. We just couldn’t overcome them tonight.”
A bright spot for the Bearcats was Hovie’s performance, as she established a BU freshman record with 24 kills and was named AE Rookie of the Week for her performance.
Dettmann handed out 39 assists and sophomore libero Xiomara Ortiz paced the back line with 16 digs.
The Bearcats will look to record their fourth America East conference win of the season when they travel to Providence College tomorrow.
Binghamton is 3-0 vs. the Friars all time, including a four-set home victory on Oct. 9.
First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.