VESTAL, N.Y. - Binghamton volleyball hits the homestretch of the regular season this weekend with a playoff spot within its grasp. The Bearcats (14-7, 5-2 America East) host NJIT (8-18, 1-6 AE) Friday night and with a victory, could complete a season sweep of the Highlanders and also clinch a top-4 postseason berth. There are three regular-season matches remaining and BU is up three in the standings.

The second-place Bearcats are coming off a riveting 3-2 road win over league-leading UMBC on Sunday in Baltimore. The victory brought BU to within one game of the two-time defending champion Retrievers and snapped UMBC's 23-match win streak against conference opponents. The win also allowed Binghamton to split the season series with UMBC — an important note in case the teams are tied at the end of the regular season.

Junior hitter Stefana Stan, the reigning America East Player of the Week, established a career high with 26 kills in the win over UMBC as BU rallied from 2-1 down to triumph 23-25, 26-24, 20-25, 25-20, 15-13. Stan hit .478 and provided a crucial kill at 13-all in the fifth set. The Bearcats put up huge offensive numbers up and down the lineup. Freshman setter Lottie Scully produced a season-high 63 assists and earned America East Setter of the Week honors. Junior hitter Tsvetelina Ilieva recorded her sixth double-double of the season with a season-high 24 kills and 10 digs. Senior middle blocker Anna Sprys had three of her 12 kills in the deciding set and freshman right-side hitter Giulia Bonifacio contributed a double-double with 10 kills and 12 digs. Bonifacio also added four aces. Freshman libero Madison Konopka led the defense with 20 digs - her fifth match with 20 or more digs.

Sprys leads the America East in blocks (1.94/set) and is fourth in attack percentage (.313). Ilieva is third in total points and kills (3.77/set) and fourth in aces (29). Scully is second in assists (8.78/set), Konopka is third in digs (4.01/set), Bonifacio is fourth in points an fifth in kills (2.94/set) and junior Stephanie Gatto is third in blocks (1.12/set). 

NJIT is coming off a surprising home sweep of Albany — the team's first conference win of the season. The Highlanders did take a game from both UMBC and UNH in earlier losses. Senior middle blocker Courtney Branch leads the entire conference with a .397 attack percentage. The Highlanders sit second in team blocks (behind BU).

Binghamton and NJIT met 3+ weeks ago in Newark with the Bearcats posting a 3-0 road win. Binghamton leads the short head-to-head history between the two programs, 4-2, and has won the last three encounters. Binghamton swept the season series last year after NJIT had swept the 2020 (spring 2021) pair of matches.