Box Score VESTAL, N.Y. – The Binghamton volleyball team saw a 2-1 lead slip away Friday as Hartford rallied for the five-set victory, in an America East matchup Friday night from West Gym. The Bearcats (4-16, 2-2 AE) controlled most of the match, but were unable to hang on against the Hawks (11-8, 1-2 AE), who won at West Gym for just the second time (2002) in the series history.
"Overall, I felt like we didn't execute very well," head coach
Glenn Kiriyama said. "We struggled with our ball movement and just didn't pass the ball well enough to win. Our defense was strong at times throughout the match and our serving really helped the defense. Down the stretch we made too many unforced errors and shot ourselves in the foot one too many times. We have a quick turnaround and are now focused on Stony Brook."
Junior right side
Megan Burgess led the Bearcats with a team-high 16 kills adding seven digs. Sophomore
Allison Hovie recorded her first double-double of the season with 14 kills and 10 digs. Senior setter
Amanda Dettmann dished out 46 assists while chipping in seven kills and seven digs. Sophomore libero
Bailey Walker picked up a match-high 21 digs, extending her stretch of 20-digs matches to four.
After dropping an highly competitive opening set, 28-26, Binghamton bounced back to even the match at one game apiece with a 25-22 win in the second set. Neither team gained much breathing room throughout the frame as kills from
Kristin Hovie and Dettmann handed the Bearcats a 17-15 lead, forcing a Hartford timeout. The Hawks aided the Binghamton's second-set victory by committing five costly errors down the stretch in route to a .077 hitting clip in the set. The Bearcats managed just nine kills in the frame, but it was enough to even the match heading into the break.
Binghamton carried its momentum into the pivotal third set as a pair of kills by Burgess handed the Bearcats a 15-11 advantage. Binghamton maintained its cushion until a 4-0 run by Hartford gave the visitors a 22-21 lead, forcing a BU timeout. The Bearcats regrouped as two more kills from Burgess handed Binghamton the third set, 25-23. Burgess collected five of BU's 15 kills during the set.
The Bearcats saw an early lead in the fourth set quickly evaporate as the Hawks began to find their offense with 14 kills in the stanza. The two teams battled back-and-forth throughout the middle of the set until a pair of
Allison Hovie terminations handed Binghamton a slim 21-19 advantage. Following a Hartford timeout the Hawks responded with three straight points before finishing off the set, 25-22.
In the fifth set, Binghamton seized the early momentum bursting out to a 4-1 lead. Hartford stayed the course and chipped away at the deficit eventually leveling the frame at 10 after a 7-3 run. Binghamton had no response as Hartford limited the Bearcats to five kills in the frame and a .100 hitting clip. Hartford scored five of the match's final six points to take the set 15-11.
Binghamton has a quick turnaround welcoming Stony Brook to West Gym for a 4 p.m. first serve tomorrow afternoon.
