VESTAL, N.Y.- The Binghamton volleyball team swept Hartford at the West Gym Friday night. The Bearcats won by scores of 25-9, 25-21, and 25-16 in the America East match.
 
Binghamton hit a season-high .391 in the contest, including a .522 attack percentage in the opening game. The Bearcats set the tone immediately, as Gabby Alicea came out serving with purpose. Hartford scored to start, but BU followed with eight straight points. Sarah Ngo found Kristella Morina for a kill, and after a Hawk error, Alicea served an ace for a 3-1 advantage. Morina scored two more points, forcing Hartford to call a timeout. A pair of Hawk miscues made it 8-1.
 
Ngo assisted on two Megan Burgess kills and then found Erin Shultz for a point, as Binghamton grabbed an 11-4 lead. Kills by Ngo, Alicea, and Bianca Anderson stretched the margin, and then BU tallied a 5-0 spurt to all but close the frame. Anderson scored, Hartford posted an error, and then Alicea scored twice, wrapped around a Hawk error. Alicea registered a kill to end the game at 25-9.
 
The visitors looked much better in the second set, taking a 6-1 lead. BU slowly clawed its way back into the action, as a block by Morina and Burgess pulled the Bearcats within 10-8. The Hawks still held an 18-13 margin before the hosts made their move. Anderson scored a pair and then teamed up with Alicea for a block, getting BU within 18-17. The teams traded service errors and then Morina and Ngo put down a block, tying the set at 19.
 
Two Alicea kills and a Morina point made it 22-20 in favor of BU. After a Hawk kill, Ngo found Morina on consecutive points, lifting the Bearcats to a 25-21 win and a commanding 2-0 match lead.
 
In the third frame, Anderson scored to open the action. A Shultz kill, a Bailey Walker ace, and a Morina point made it 5-1 early. Hartford committed several errors to allow BU to extend its lead. Ngo served an ace for a 15-6 lead. A pair of Burgess points gave Binghamton a 17-8 difference.
 
Later in the game, Ngo and Morina combined for another block and then Ngo hit Morina for a kill, putting the home team ahead, 23-15. Hartford logged an error on the ensuing point and Anderson provided the score on match point, giving BU its first America East victory of the season.
 
Morina led with 12.5 point, hitting .563 on the night. Ngo generated 26 assists. Alicea added 10 points, while Walker notched 10 digs. As a team, the Bearcats hit .391 and held Hartford to a .000 hitting percentage.
 
BU (4-12, 1-1 AE) hosts New Hampshire (10-7, 2-0 AE) on Sunday, October 4. The conference contest is slated for a 1 p.m. start at the West Gym.