VESTAL, N.Y.- The Binghamton volleyball team hits the road for a pair of America East matches this weekend. The Bearcats play at Stony Brook on Friday, October 9, at 7 p.m. and then travel to UMBC for a 1 p.m. contest on Sunday, October 11.
 
BU (4-13, 1-2 AE) split two home matches last weekend, sweeping Hartford before falling to New Hampshire. Against the Hawks, Binghamton hit a season-high .391 in a three-set victory. Kristella Morina recorded 12.5 points and Gabby Alicea added 10 in the contest. Sarah Ngo provided 26 assists.
 
Coach Glenn Kiriyama's squad put together a competitive effort in a defeat against the two-time defending conference champions, UNH. Alicea and Erin Shultz combined for 22.5 points in the match, while Bailey Walker collected 22 digs.
 
Walker paces the America East in both digs (329) and digs per set (4.98) in 2015. Nationally, she ranks 25^th in digs. Morina leads the conference in blocks with 64. Alicea has scored a team-high 170.5 points and Ngo has tallied 551 assists in 17 outings.
 
Stony Brook holds a 6-12 record, including a 2-0 America East mark. The Seawolves have knocked off UMBC and UMass Lowell in straight sets to open league play. Kathy Fletcher led with 13 points in the win over UMass Lowell on October 4. Nicole Vogel logged 33 assists and 16 digs in the match.
 
Fletcher, a senior, leads the conference in scoring with 252 points. Her 217 kills are also tops in the America East this season. Stephanie McFadden has served a league-leading 33 aces. Freshman Morgan Kath has contributed 566 assists, good for second among conference setters.
 
UMBC is 7-9 overall, with a 1-1 America East record. The Retrievers beat UMass Lowell, 3-1, on October 2. A trio of freshmen led the team to victory, as Mackenzie Morgan finished with 17.5 points and Claudia Lopez and Krytsia Negron teamed up for 47 assists.
 
In 2015, UMBC is hitting .199 as a team, the highest attack percentage in the conference. The Retrievers feature five players with 70 or more kills, and each has a hitting percentage of .167 or higher this year. Morgan leads the team with 185.5 points, while senior Sherelle Walker is hitting .229 with 107 kills.
 
Binghamton leads the all-time series with UMBC, 18-11, including two wins in 2014. BU holds a 16-12 advantage in its history with Stony Brook, with the teams splitting a pair of contests last season.