STORRS, Conn. (BUBearcats.com) - The Binghamton University volleyball team (6-4) will play its last invitational of the season at the University of Connecticut's Dog Pound Challenge this Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 16-17.
The team will face Brown at 1:30 p.m. and UConn at 7 p.m. on Saturday before finishing off the weekend against Michigan State at 1 p.m. on Sunday. All games will be streamed for free on UConn+. Fans can also follow along via live stats here on BUBearcats.com.
The Bearcats are coming off a 2-1 weekend at Lehigh's Steel Classic, Sept. 8-9. BU opened up the invitational on Saturday with a five set win over Fairleigh Dickinson and a 3-0 sweep of hosts Leigh before dropping a tight 3-1 match against Delaware State on Sunday.
Tsvetelina Ilieva took home America East Player of the week this Tuesday, Binghamton volleyball's second weekly conference of the season so far.In four matches for the Bearcats, Ilieva registered two-doubles with an impressive 77 kills, 43 digs and nine blocks for 93.5 points. With 11 last week, she sits second in the nation in service aces with 24 through the first three weeks of the season.
Ilieva posted a career-high 27 kills in BU's four set match against Delaware State Saturday afternoon, hitting at an impressive .317 and earning her fifth double-double of the season with 13 digs for 29.5 points. Her weekend performance earned the senior a Lehigh Steel Classic All-Tournament nod.
Ella Schabort took home the Bearcats' second All-Tournament honor at Lehigh with 35 kills, 16 digs, eight blocks and seven service aces in three matches. Madison Konopka also posted her own career day with a team-best 29 digs against Delaware State. The sophomore libero also grabbed six assists and one service ace in the day's second match.
As a team Binghamton is ranked sixth in the country in team service aces with 88. The Bearcats dominate their opponents from the service line 88-43 through 10 games. The Bearcats currently lead the America East in hitting percentage at .246 and service aces with 2.38 per set and 88 total.
BU also takes the conference's top spot in blocks with an average of 2.60 per set and 244 total, led by first-year Misa Dlouha who owns the America East blocks title with 45 rejections at a 1.22 per set average.
Next up, Binghamton will host Colgate University for a midweek non-conference match-up, Sept. 26 in the West Gym. Start time is slated for 6 p.m.
