PHILADELPHIA, Pa.- The Binghamton volleyball team rallied from an 0-2 deficit to knock off Montana in five games Saturday at the Cherry & White Challenge, hosted by Temple University. The Bearcats beat the Grizzlies by scores of 20-25, 19-25, 28-26, 25-17, and 15-11. BU also fell to Temple in three sets Saturday night. Sarah Ngo and Bailey Walker were both named to the event's all-tournament team.

Things appeared dire after the Bearcats fell behind Montana, 2-0, going into the third game. BU continued to work, though, pulling out a 28-26 win and then taking a 25-17 decision in the fourth game. "We had to hustle a lot more (after the first two sets)," said Coach Glenn Kiriyama. "We really had to buckle down with our blocking and our digging and we did that."
 
Playing a fifth set for the third consecutive match, Binghamton jumped out to a 3-1 lead behind points by Megan Burgess and Erin Shultz. Montana errors and kills by Kristella Morina and Gabby Alicea gave the Bearcats an 8-4 lead at the turn.
 
Up 10-8, Ngo found Burgess for a point to stretch the margin. Eventually, BU took a 13-10 advantage. Ngo followed with an assist to Alicea and after a Montana point, the Grizzles committed an attack error on match point, allowing Binghamton to collect its second win in two days, 15-11.
 
"I think we feel confident (in fifth sets)," said Kiriyama. "We know we can come back and play well in those situations. It's good for us to get a lot of experience in competitive situations."
 
The win marked BU's third five-game victory this season. The Bearcats picked up their first win after trailing a match 0-2 since they beat Syracuse on September 19, 2012.
 
Montana won the first two frames. In the third, Binghamton started its long trek back into the match. Burgess and Alexis LaGoy teamed up for a block and then Walker served an ace. LaGoy and Alicea put down a block a bit later for a 6-3 margin. Ngo and Morina followed with a block and Ngo scored for an 11-5 advantage. The Grizzles slowly rallied, eventually taking a 20-18 edge. Alicea scored and then Montana committed an error to even the score. After a Grizzly point, Morina and Alicea combined for another block to tie it again.
 
The teams traded points, as Ngo hit Burgess and Shultz for kills to move the set to a 23-all tie. LaGoy's kill made it 25-25, and after a Montana score, Ngo assisted on an Alicea kill to even the score once more. A pair of Montana errors ended the game, sending the match into a fourth set.
 
Ngo got out to a strong start in the fourth, setting up points for Burgess, LaGoy, and Shultz to give BU a 3-2 edge. With Binghamton holding a slim 12-11 margin, it went on a 4-0 burst to take control. Shultz scored and then Burgess posted an ace. After a Montana mishandle, Ngo found LaGoy to make it 16-11.
 
LaGoy combined with Alicea for a block and then went up with Ngo for another stuff, extending the difference to seven. Two late Burgess kills forced the decisive set.
 
"Our defense led the way later in the match," said Kiriyama. "Alexis and Kristella were good at the net and they were able to help out the rest of the defense."

Ngo compiled 45 assists and nine digs. Burgess, LaGoy, and Alicea led a balanced attack, combining for 42 points. Walker tallied 24 digs, while Kelly Leach added nine of her own. BU hit .235 as a team, including a .600 attack percentage in the fifth game. 

Against the host Owls, BU fell by scores of 25-17, 25-10, and 25-11 in the nightcap. Morina led with 10.5 points. Ngo collected 17 assists in the contest. 

Ngo has now been named to the all-tournament team at each of Binghamton's first three weekends in 2015. Walker has earned recognition at two of the three events.
 
Binghamton faces Towson in a neutral site match tomorrow. The contest will begin at 2 p.m. at The Palestra.