VESTAL, N.Y. – The Binghamton volleyball team secured first place at the Binghamton Invitational Saturday after the Bearcats defeated Bucknell 3-2 at the Events Center.
 
In the thrilling five-set match, Binghamton prevailed 25-27, 25-19, 18-25, 25-20 and 15-12. It is the Bearcats' first victory this season in five sets. Briana Binagi and Maya Coblentz-Brown both led the Bearcats with 16 kills each, while Merima Smajlovic added 15 to go along with 14 digs for her sixth double-double of the season. Emily Cronkhite put up 25 digs while Sophia Holland added seven total blocks, both career-highs and Alexandra Koleva posted a season-high 37 assists.
 
"This weekend was huge for us," said Binghamton Head Volleyball Coach Allie Yaeger. "To be able to have three wins consecutively under our belt, we have not been able to do that all season. So, I think it gives confidence to the girls. It gives them a taste of winning, which we need with how young and new we are as a team. This weekend could not have gone any better, and it's great we get five sets like that and get the experience and learn how to win in a five-set match."
 
After defeating both Canisius and Mercyhurst in straight sets on Friday, Binghamton looked poised to continue that streak against the Bison. In the late stages of the opening frame, the Bearcats held a 21-16 lead. Bucknell then went on an 8-1 run to pull ahead 24-22. Binghamton responded by taking the next two points to extend the set, but Bucknell went on to close it out by scoring the final two points and take a 1-0 lead in the match.
 
Binghamton bounced right back in the second set. Up 11-9, the Bearcats went on a 7-1 run to grow its lead to 18-10, before cruising to a 25-19 victory. Binagi put up six kills during the frame, while Koleva had seven assists. Bucknell then responded in the third set, using an 8-2 run to move up to a 20-13 advantage before taking the frame 25-18.
 
Needing to win the fourth set to keep their hopes of a weekend sweep alive, the Bearcats overcame an 18-14 deficit with an 11-2 run to close out the frame with a 25-20 victory. During that stretch, both Binagi and Maya Coblentz-Brown had two kills each. Binghamton also had two service aces during that run, one from Cronkhite and another courtesy of Koleva.
 
With first place up for grabs in the fifth and final set, both teams traded the lead early on. Eventually, Bucknell went up 12-11, needing three points to win the match. They would not get a single one. Instead, Binghamton put up the final four points of the day, with three kills coming from Coblentz-Brown, to win the final set 15-12 and the match. For that fifth set, Binghamton hit .556 as a team.
 
Coblentz-Brown, Koleva and Smajlovic would all be chosen for the invitational's all-tournament team, with Smajlovic being named the most outstanding player. In 11 sets played over three matches, Smajlovic recorded 46 kills, 31 digs, six total blocks and four service aces.
 
Coblentz-Brown, who was also chosen for the Black Knight Invitational's All-Tournament Team the prior weekend, put up 32 kills, nine total blocks, seven digs and one assist at the Binghamton Invitational.
 
Koleva posted 77 assists throughout the weekend to go along with 31 digs.
 
Binghamton Invitational All-Tournament Team
Binghamton/Most Outstanding Player: Merima Smajlovic
Binghamton: Alexandra Koleva
Binghamton: Maya Coblentz-Brown
Bucknell: Sidney Shaffer
Bucknell: Cameron Lloyd
Mercyhurst: Kaitlin Murphy
Canisius: Bella Mosquera
 
Up Next
Binghamton returns to the road for its final regular season tournament when the Bearcats play at Michigan State's Kathy DeBoer Invitational from Thursday through Saturday. Binghamton will play Michigan State, Southern Illinois Edwardsville and Bowling Green throughout the tournament. Binghamton's first match is against Michigan State on Thursday at 7 p.m.
 
Hinman, Howard & Katell, LLP is the presenting sponsor of Bearcats Volleyball.