Volleyball Set to Host America East Championship

11/21/2024 11:47:00 AM | By: Anna Harris (aharris19@binghamton.edu)

No. 1 Binghamton faces No. 4 UAlbany Friday afternoon

VESTAL, N.Y. (binghamtonbearcats.com) - Binghamton Volleyball (19-9, 8-2) is set to host the 2024 America East Championship this weekend, Nov. 22-23, inside the Events Center.

The top-seeded Bearcats will kick off postseason competition against No. 4 UAlbany (11-14, 5-5) Friday at 4 p.m. on Dr. Bai Lee Court. Then No. 2 New Hampshire (16-9, 7-3) and No. 3 UMBC (8-15, 6-4) will face off at 7 p.m. in the second match of the afternoon. The winners of both contests will advance to the championship final on Saturday at 4 p.m.

All three matches will be broadcast ESPN+ can be followed via live stats here at binghamtonbearcats.com.

Binghamton claimed the America East regular season title last Sunday, Nov. 17, with a 3-0 road victory at NJIT. The title is the second in three years for the Bearcats after they claimed their first regular season championship in school history in 2022. Binghamton seeks its fourth America East Championship in school history after earning titles in 2012, 2009, and 2005.

The Bearcats set a new program record with 19 regular season victories and ended the 2024 campaign on a seven-match win streak. Binghamton went a perfect 5-0 in conference play at home and won its last six America East matches.

Binghamton finished the regular season with a league-best 18.43 points, 13.81 kills, 12.89 assists, 1.86 service aces per set and .240 attack percentage in conference play. The Bearcats also rank second America East competition with 2.76 blocks and 16.22 digs per set.

Binghamton earned nine America East annual awards, the conference announced Wednesday afternoon. Tsvetelina Ilieva was named America East Player of the Year for the third consecutive year while Lottie Scully garnered her first Setter of the Year distinction. Ilieva, Scully and Misa Dlouha received All-Conference First Team honors while Ella Schabort grabbed a Second Team accolade. Viktoria Dimitrova landed on the All-Rookie Team while Ilieva and Scully picked up All-Academic nods.

Ilieva is the first Bearcat in program history to take the honor in three straight years and the first since UAlbany's Blair Buchanan (2004-06). She led the conference with 5.7 points, 4.8 kills, and .53 service aces per set in conference play this fall. The fifth-year senior also ranked eighth with a .251 hitting percentage. Ilieva sits fifth in the nation with 572 total points and seventh with 494 kills. Her points and kills per set totals also rank ninth and tenth, respectively, in the country.

The two-time AVCA All-American set a new program record with 494 single-season kills this campaign, besting Iva Partaleva's record 2012 mark of 448. Ilieva currently ranks third in Bearcat history with 1,288 kills in a Binghamton uniform. She also holds the school record for single-season kills per set and ranks amongst the top ten Bearcats in history for single-season attack attempts, as well as career service aces, attack attempts and attack percentage.

Scully earned her first career Setter of the Year award after being named to the All-Conference Second Team in 2022 and 2023. She is the third Bearcat in program history to earn the honor and first since Sarah Ngo in 2017.

Scully led the America East with 10.15 assists per set and 406 assists in America East competition. The junior recorded a season-high 56 assists vs. LIU, Sept. 29, the most of any America East setter in a match this fall. Scully posted eight double-doubles and 30 or more assists in 17 matches for Binghamton.

The 2023 America East Rookie of the Year, Dlouha earned a First Team placement after hitting a league-best .451 in conference matches. The sophomore ranked first in regular season action with 132 total blocks and second with 1.26 blocks per set. She also sat second in league play with .40 service aces per set.

Schabort picked up a Second Team distinction after being named to the All-Rookie Team last season. She ranked in the top 10 America East players in regular season play with 2.90 points and 2.38 kills per set.

Dimitrova is Binghamton's sole All-Rookie representative this fall. The freshman collected 211 kills in the regular season at a .242 clip. Dimitrova's total kills and 56 blocks this year rank her fourth on the team. She registered double digit kills in seven matches and hit .300 or better in eight contests.

Ilieva earned her second straight All-Academic nod while Scully grabbed her first honor. Ilieva holds a 3.99 GPA in Business Administration while Scully has a 3.51 in Environmental Studies.

Although UAlbany leads the all-time series 32-20 over Binghamton, the Bearcats hold a five-match win streak over the Great Danes since 2022. Binghamton swept UAlbany, 3-0, in both meetings this fall, Oct. 25, on the road, and Sept. 27, at home.

New Hampshire also holds an all-time advantage over Binghamton, 29-21. The Bearcats split action against the Wildcats this year with a 3-2 reverse sweep victory at home, Nov. 10, and a 3-0 loss on the road, Oct. 13.

UMBC owns a 27-20 series record over Binghamton. The Bearcats swept the Retrievers 3-0 in their last meeting at home, Nov. 8, but fell 3-0 on the road, Oct. 4.

The America East Tournament Champion will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Volleyball Championship First Round held at regional sites across the country, Dec. 5. The NCAA selection show is set to held Sunday, Dec. 1, on ESPN.

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No. 1 Binghamton faces No. 4 UAlbany Friday afternoon

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