FAIRFIELD, Conn. (BinghamtonBearcats.com) - The Binghamton Volleyball team (4-3) defeated Fairfield (2-4), 3-1, and Boston College (5-1), 3-2, to claim the Fairfield Invitational title Saturday, inside Leo D. Mahoney Arena. 

The Bearcats completed a reverse sweep over Boston College to earn the team's first win over a Power Four team since taking down Syracuse, 3-2, Sept.19, 2012. Tsvetelina Ilieva was named the invitational's Most Valuable Player while Ella Schabort and Misa Dlouha were named to the All-Tournament Team. 

MATCH ONE - BINGHAMTON 3, FAIRFIELD 1

HOW IT HAPPENED 
Fairfield opened the match with a 25-19 victory in the first set. The Stags outhit the Bearcats in the first frame with 13 kills to Binghamton' 12. Both defenses tallied an impressive number of digs in the set as well, 25-21, in favor of the Stags.

The Bearcats bounced back to take the second set, 25-17, a frame that featured a match-high six tie scores and two lead changes. Fairfield jumped out to an early 4-1 lead in the frame until Binghamton used two, 6-0 runs to even the set score at one apiece. Eight of Emily Cronkhite's match-high 20 digs came in the second stanza while Schabort also chipped in four kills. 

Binghamton continued its momentum and won the third set, 25-22, allowing Fairfield to take the lead just twice in the frame. Binghamton registered a match-best 19 kills from six different Bearcats, including six from Schabort and five from Lydia Adam. Seven players also recorded digs for Binghamton in the set. 

The Bearcats secured their third victory of the season with a clinch of the fourth set, 25-17. Binghamton posted a match-high .344 attack percentage in the final set while the defense held Fairfield to just a .029 clip. Ilieva's six kills and two blocks accounted for a team-best eight points in the frame. 

MATCH NOTES 

• Ilieva picked up her first double-double of the season with a team-high 17 kills and 11 digs for 21 points against the Stags. The feat marks the first for Ilieva since she put up 15 kills and 16 digs in the Bearcats America East Championship Semifinal win over New Hampshire last season, Nov. 17, 2023. 
• Cronkhite led the Bearcats with 20 digs over Fairfield. The performance was Cronkhite's first match for Binghamton with 20 or more digs, her previous high being 13 vs. Toledo, Aug. 30
• Schabort picked up 13 kills with no errors at a .419 clip, the first perfect performance of the Australians career
• Dlouha chipped in 10 kills and a team-best five blocks for 15.5 points, her first double-digit kills performance of the season 
• Lottie Scully recorded a career-high three service aces in the victory and lead Bearcat setters with 34 assists 

MATCH TWO - BINGHAMTON 3, BOSTON COLLEGE 2 

HOW IT HAPPENED
Binghamton dropped the first two sets of the match to Boston College, 26-24 and 25-18. The first set featured seven tie scores and two lead changes with both teams trading points in the final moments of the frame until the Eagles were able to close it out and win by two. 

The Bearcats came back alive in the third set, out blocking their opponents 8-6 to earn the stanza victory, 25-22. Binghamton used a 4-0 run to lead 16-13 midway through the set and kept tacking on scores from there. Dlouha punched three of her team-high 10 blocks in the third set while Sophia Holland tacked on three kills. 

Binghamton kept going in the fourth frame to claim the set victory, 25-20, and even the playing field at two sets apiece. The Bearcats held the Eagles to just a .105 attack percentage in the fourth set while collecting 22 digs and 14 kills themselves to force a deciding set

Boston College gained the edge early in the fifth set, scoring three straight points to lead 8-5. The Eagles continued to add on, going up 13-10, before Binghamton came in clutch to seal the victory. Five consecutive scores on two service aces from Dlouha, a kill from Schabort and two BC errors ended the set in a 15-13 win for the Bearcats. 

MATCH NOTES 

• Binghamton's 3-2 win over Boston College marked the program's first win over a Power Four opponent since the Bearcats took down Syracuse, 3-2, Sept. 19, 2012. The victory is the Bearcats third (3-17) against current Atlantic Coast Conference opponents since 1996. 
• The reverse sweep is the first for the Bearcats since the team's 3-2 win over New Hampshire in the 2023 America East Semifinals, Nov. 17, 2023. 
• Ilieva picked up her second double-double of the afternoon against the Eagles with 14 kills and 14 digs, the 21st double-double of her career. The total marks Ilieva's fourth straight match with double-digit kills and third with double-digit digs since the Bearcats season opener against Merrimack, Aug. 30. 
• Schabort tacked on her own double-double with 13 kills and 13 digs, only the second double-double of her Binghamton career since registering 17 kills and 10 digs against Duquesne, Aug. 26, 2023. 
• Along with eight kills, Dlouha posted 10 blocks on nine block assists and one block solo for the second time this week after equalling that total at Villanova Wednesday. The double-digit performance is the fourth in the sophomore's career at Binghamton 
• Cronkhite recorded a career-high 23 digs in the win, her second straight match with 20 or more digs after collecting 20 earlier this afternoon against Fairfield 
• Scully tallied a career-high three service aces for the second consecutive contest since she made another three vs. Fairfield earlier today. The junior setter also tacked on 21 assists for her 47th match with 20 or more helpers. 
• Danit Cohen led the Bearcats with a career-best 23 assists against the Eagles, her previous high of 20 was set last season against Duquesne, Aug. 26, 2023.

UP NEXT 
The Bearcats head to Hempstead, N.Y., for a contest at Hofstra, Wednesday, Sept., 11. First serve is slated for 6 p.m.