VESTAL, N.Y. – The Binghamton volleyball team saw four of its players receive recognition from the America East Conference as the league announced its end-of-year awards Wednesday.
Merima Smajlovic and
Viktoria Dimitrova earned First Team All-Conference honors, while
Maya Coblentz-Brown and
Francesca Pierdonati were both named to the All-Rookie Team.
This is the second year in a row that Binghamton had multiple players named to the First Team in the America East, making it the first time the Bearcats had at least two First Team selections in consecutive seasons since 2005 (2) and 2006 (3). In 2024,
Misa Dlouha,
Tsvetelina Ilieva and
Lottie Scully received First Team honors for Binghamton.
Smajlovic made an immediate impact in her first season with the Bearcats, as the Seattle transfer led the conference with 14 double doubles. She ranks third in the America East in kills per set (3.52) and sixth in digs per set (3.09). Taking action in all of Binghamton's 95 sets this season, the native of Istanbul, Turkey set new career highs in kills (334), hitting percentage (.234), digs (294), block assists (38), and total points (373). The senior outside hitter started the season off strong with a double-double of 16 kills and a career best 28 digs in the Bearcats' season opener against Fordham on Aug. 29. Later in the year, Smajlovic smashed a .396 hitting percentage, tallying a career-high 21 kills for her seventh double-double of the season in a 3-1 victory over Southern Illinois Edwardsville on Sept. 19. Smajlovic ultimately went on to be named America East Player of the Week twice this season (Sept. 16 and Nov. 17).
Dimitrova joins Smajlovic on the conference's First Team, earning that recognition for the first time in her career. Against conference opponents, Dimitrova ranks second in both kills per set (3.63) and total points (164). The Sofia, Bulgaria native, who was previously named to the America East Preseason All-Conference Team back in August, became just the second player since 2010 to record at least 20 kills in three consecutive matches, with her highest tally being 22 in a 3-2 victory over NJIT on Nov. 2. She has also recorded three double-doubles and was named Player of the Week by the America East on Nov. 4.
Coblentz-Brown was named to the conference's All-Rookie team after providing 244 kills on a .273 hitting percentage in 91 sets played. Since joining the America East, the freshman from Irvine, Calif., became the third player in program history to have been named America East Rookie of the Week at least four times in a season, alongside Giulia Bonifacio (6 times in 2022) and Lauren Kornmann (4 times in 2016).
Joining Coblentz-Brown on the All-Rookie squad is Pierdonati, who accumulated 83 kills, 62 block assists and 31 digs in 75 sets played. In conference play, Pierdonati ranks seventh in average blocks per set (0.94) and 10th in hitting percentage (.256).
Binghamton, who finished the regular season tied for third in the conference at 6-4, now prepares to compete in the America East Volleyball Championship for the fourth season in a row. The No. 4 seed Bearcats go up against No. 1 UMBC in the semifinals at 4 p.m., on Friday at Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena in Baltimore, Md. If Binghamton wins, they will face either No. 2 Bryant or No. 3 UAlbany in the finals at 4 p.m. on Saturday, with the champion being awarded an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
Hinman, Howard & Katell, LLP is the presenting sponsor of Bearcats Volleyball.
