HAMILTON, N.Y. - Reigning Patriot League champion Colgate (15-4) withstood a spirited performance from Binghamton volleyball and rallied for a 3-1 win over the visiting Bearcats (11-6) Wednesday night at Cotterell Court. The Raiders dropped the opening set for the first time in a month but responded with a 22-25, 25-20, 25-23, 25-18 win in the final non-conference match for Binghamton.

Even at one set apiece, a tight third set went to the hosts, who then were fast out of the gate and held off a late BU charge to seal the victory in the fourth set. 

"After the first set we really struggled tonight," head coach Allie Yaeger said. "We did a great job matching Colgate's intensity and play in the beginning but just couldn't put it together for the other three sets. We made a lot of errors, which isn't typically the way we play. At times we fought really hard but it just wasn't enough. I thought we took a huge step forward in building our middle/setter relationship with Anna and Lottie. That is something we have really been working on - making Anna an offensive threat - and that's exactly what she was tonight."

Senior middle blocker Anna Sprys compiled 11 kills and a team-high eight blocks to lead a strong blocking performance from the Bearcats, who posted a season-high 15 blocks. Junior hitter Tsvetelina Ilieva came alive late in the match for a team-high 14 kills - half of which came during the third set. Freshman setter Lottie Scully handed out 38 assists with five blocks and five digs. 

In the opening set, BU broke away from a 19-19 tie with a 4-1 run that featured a block and a kill from Sprys. The 6-foot middle then closed out the 25-22 result with her fourth kill. The Bearcats produced 10 blocks in the set. 

Colgate responded in Set 2, aided by three aces and four BU service errors. An early 7-2 Raiders run turned a close set into a six-point BU deficit and the Bearcats couldn't draw closer than four the rest of the way in the 25-20 loss. 

In the pivotal third set, BU used an 8-1 early run to erase an 8-4 hole. Ilieva had two kills and Sprys notched three blocks in the stretch. Later, an ace from freshman hitter Giulia Bonifacio (team-high 21 digs) boosted BU's lead to 19-15. But Colgate answered with a back-breaking 7-1 run to take control. Despite three more Ilieva kills, Colgate held on for a 25-23 win. 

In the final set, BU fell behind 14-5 - the largest margin for either team on the night. A 7-1 run tightened the set but the Bearcats could draw no closer than three the rest of the way. Ten attack errors thwarted a final push from the Bearcats, who hit just .122 in the match.  

Binghamton now turns its attention to a big weekend at the West Gym, where BU will host Bryant (Friday) and New Hampshire (Sunday) in America East action.