VESTAL, N.Y. – The Binghamton volleyball showed resiliency Friday night at the Events Center, coming back from a 19-14 deficit in the fourth set to defeat UMBC 3-1 for its first America East Conference win of the season.
 
The Bearcats took down the Retrievers 25-22, 25-16, 11-25 and 27-25. Viktoria Dimitrova led Binghamton with a season-high 16 kills, Alexandra Koleva recorded 36 assists and Emily Cronkhite added 20 digs. Hannah Olmstead, who played in her first match since Sept. 7, led all players with a career-high seven total blocks.
 
"I thought they [UMBC] made good really good in-game adjustments, and that was tough for us in the third set and the beginning of the fourth," said Binghamton Head Volleyball Coach Allie Yaeger. "But I thought then we made our in-game adjustments too, which helped to get the win."
 
Binghamton seized momentum early in the first set, using a 6-1 run to move ahead 10-5. UMBC eventually got within one at 15-14, but Binghamton responded with three points in a row to grow its lead. The Retrievers would never get closer than within two points in the set, as the Bearcats eventually took the opening frame. Maya Coblentz-Brown posted five of her 12 kills throughout the set, while Koleva had 12 assists.
 
Set two also saw Binghamton jump out to a lead before the media timeout, with the Bearcats ahead 15-11. Binghamton then closed out the set on an 8-2 run to pick up a convincing 25-16 win and increase its lead to 2-0.
 
UMBC countered with a third set that saw the Retrievers hit .542 as a team. After the set started out tied at three, the Retrievers went on a 21-5 run to take a commanding 24-8 lead. Binghamton would pick up three points in a row, but UMBC closed out the set to make the match a 2-1 Bearcat lead.
 
Trying to force a winner-take-all fifth set, UMBC scored the first three points in the fourth. While Binghamton would tie the frame on a few occasions, the Bearcats struggled to grab the lead, as the Retrievers eventually went up 16-11. When Binghamton scored three-consecutive points, UMBC countered with three in a row to move up 19-14.
 
After Binghamton called a timeout, the Bearcats made their charge. Their comeback began with three kills in a row from Briana Binagi, Dimitrova and Coblentz-Brown to bring it to 19-17. Following a point by UMBC, Binghamton scored another three in a row to tie the match at 20. Following two-straight points from the Retrievers, both teams eventually fought their way to a tie at 24.
 
Looking for its first lead of the set, Binghamton showed its tenacity on the next play. On an attack by the Retrievers, a dig by Cronkhite sent the ball to the far corner of the court near the Binghamton bench. Smajlovic tracked it down and dove to keep it alive, before Cronkhite sent the ball over the net. Following another dig by Cronkhite, Binghamton grabbed its first lead of the set when both Dimitrova and Sophia Holland blocked an attack by Claudia Llamas to put Binghamton ahead 25-24.
 
Llamas would then get a kill to tie the set at 25 for UMBC, but after she committed a service error, Binghamton faced match point. Holland's serve would be hit out of bounds by Jalynn Brown of UMBC, giving the Bearcats the victory.
 
Binghamton wraps up its three-match homestand Sunday when it hosts NJIT at 1 p.m., in the Events Center. The Bearcats will celebrate Youth Day, as after the match, kids are invited to take the court and pass a volleyball around with a Binghamton player. Admission to both matches is free on behalf of Hinman, Howard & Katell, LLP.
 
Hinman, Howard & Katell, LLP is the presenting sponsor of Bearcats Volleyball.