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Tsvetelina Ilieva attacking vs Toledo
Jonathan Cohen

Volleyball Drops Five Set Thriller to Villanova

| By: Anna Harris (aharris19@binghamton.edu)

Ilieva, Dimitrova register double-digit kills in loss

Box Score VILLANOVA, Pa. (BinghamtonBearcats.com) - The Binghamton University Volleyball team (1-3) dropped a five-set road thriller to Villanova (1-2), Wednesday night, inside Jake Nevin Field House. 

HOW IT HAPPENED 
Binghamton dropped the first two sets to Villanova, despite that both frames featured 19 tie scores and five lead changes. The Wildcats recorded 35 kills to the Bearcats 17 in the first two sets and hit at a .264 average clip. 

Down two sets to none, Binghamton powered back to take the third stanza in quick fashion, 25-16. The Bearcats posted a team-high .400 in the third set with 14 kills, led by Lydia Adam's four in the frame. Six of Emily Cronkhite's team-best nine digs came in the third. 

Binghamton continued its momentum in the fourth and chipped away at the Villanova offense to even the score at two sets apiece. While the Wildcats team posted four more kills, 17-13, in the frame than the Bearcats, Binghamton out blocked the home team, 6-0, to earn the set victory. 

Villanova used a 6-1 run to take control of the match late in the fifth set. Binghamton managed to save two match points on kills from Tsvetelina Ilieva and Viktoria Dimitrova but were defeated, 15-10, in the deciding frame. 

MATCH NOTES 
  • Ilieva earned a team-high 17 kills at a .240 clip vs. the Wildcats, her first double-digit performance of the season. The fifth-year has 57 matches with double-digit kills in her career. 
  • Dimitrova registered 14 kills at .324 for 16.5 points against Villanova, a new best for the freshman right side hitter. The Bulgarian totalled 17 kills in three matches for Binghamton last weekend at home vs. Merrimack, Toledo and Bucknell.
  • Adam's eight kills came at an impressive .438 attack percentage, her highest since she hit .667 at NJIT, Oct. 29, 2023.
  • Cronkhite added a team-best nine digs to her season total 36 in her first four appearances for Binghamton.
  • Lottie Scully recorded 26 assists in the loss, her 45th career match with 20 or more helpers. 
  • Briana Binagi picked up three kills and six digs in just her fourth match as a Bearcat.

UP NEXT 
Next up, Binghamton will travel to Fairfield, Conn., over the weekend for the Fairfield Invitational. The Bearcats will first play against Central Connecticut State University on Friday, Sep. 6, at 3 p.m. The other two matches will be played on Saturday, Sep. 7, at 1:30 p.m., against Fairfield and Boston College at 6 p.m.

For updates on all things Binghamton Volleyball, follow us on Instagram and X.
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