VESTAL, N.Y. – The 2026 Binghamton volleyball team features plenty of familiar faces as the Bearcats set their sights on winning an America East championship.
 
Despite having no seniors, Binghamton's roster features 12 returners, 10 of whom played during the 2025 season, combined with six newcomers. That contrasts from the prior year, when the Bearcats welcomed 11 newcomers in 2025. Despite the turnover, Binghamton still reached the America East Volleyball Championship for the fourth year in a row, the first time the program accomplished that since 2014-17. The Bearcats then took eventual America East tournament champion UMBC to five sets in the semifinals before being eliminated.
 
"I feel that we have a lot of unfinished business from last season," said fifth year Head Volleyball Coach Allie Yaeger. "We kind of have a bit of a chip on our shoulder. We graduated a couple of key pieces from last year, but that doesn't mean that we're not ready to go for this season."
 
Now heading into 2026, the Bearcats look to win their third America East regular season championship in the last five seasons (2022, 24) and its first America East tournament championship since 2012.
 
The Returners
Among the returners are junior right side hitter Viktoria Dimitrova and sophomore right side hitter Maya Coblentz-Brown, both of whom were named to the America East Preseason All-Conference Team. Dimitrova, a First Team All-Conference selection in 2025, set career highs in kills (251), kills per set (3.44), digs (96), digs per set (1.32), points (284.0) and points per set (3.89) last season. Her season included a stretch where she recorded at least 21 kills in three consecutive matches from Oct. 31-Nov. 7. Coblentz-Brown, meanwhile, posted 255 kills, 46 blocks and 34 digs during her freshman season. She went on to be named to the America East All-Rookie Team.
 
Joining Coblentz-Brown on the All-Rookie Team in 2025 was Francesca Pierdonati. The middle blocker led the Bearcats last season with 69 blocks, while also adding 93 kills, 37 digs, nine service aces and four assists.
 
Fellow sophomore middle blocker Hannah Olmstead recorded 50 blocks, 44 kills, six digs, two assists and two service aces in her first season in the Southern Tier. She also was named to the Bearcat Classic's All-Tournament Team after putting up eight kills in each of her first two collegiate matches against Fordham and Connecticut.
 
Despite not becoming the team's primary setter until the final month of the season, Regan Kadel still finished 2025 with a team-high 592 assists. She recorded at least 39 assists in six of her final matches of the season to end the year ranking third in the America East in assists per set at 6.43.
 
Both Celeste Ocampo and Eve Roman are available as a libero for the Bearcats in 2026. Ocampo finished her first season at Binghamton with 91 digs, 10 assists, and six service aces. Roman, meanwhile, put up 75 digs, eight assists and six service aces.
 
The Newcomers
After helping Florida SouthWestern State College reach the NJCAA championship match in each of her two seasons with the Buccaneers, helping them win the championship in 2024, junior outside hitter Magi Milicevic now brings her postseason experience to the Bearcats. The native of Plovdiv, Bulgaria finished her tenure at FSW with 290 kills and 282 digs.
 
Milicevic is one of three newcomers from overseas joining Binghamton in 2026. Freshman setter Runa Redse-Arset took home three straight gold medals at U19 nationals in Norway from 2023-25 and won two bronze medals while competing for the Norwegian junior national team at the NEVZA Championships in 2022 and 2023.
 
Freshman middle blocker Marta Gintere will join the Bearcats after she finishes competing for the Latvian national team at the 2026 Women's European Volleyball Championship. Gintere also has experience on Latvia's U20, U18 and U16 national teams.
 
Rounding out the remainder of the newcomers are three freshmen from the United States. New Jersey native Ava Gaspard graduated as Westfield High School's all-time leader in kills with 711. The right side hitter also set the school record for kills in a season with 338 in 2025.
 
Another native of New Jersey joining the Bearcats who also set her school's all-time record for kills is Sophia Christoffers. The outside hitter recorded more than 800 kills and 800 digs at Madison High School. She also set the program record for kills in a season twice, first in 2024 with 324, before eclipsing that mark with 415 in 2025.
 
Finally, Sydney Geselbracht adds more depth at the middle blocker position. Hailing from Loveland, Ohio, Geselbracht is a two-time Ohio High School Volleyball Coaches Association All-District Team selection (First Team in 2025, Second Team in 2024). She also helped Mount Notre Dame High School reach the state semifinals in 2025, positing 120 kills, 39 digs and 27 service aces during her senior season.
 
The Schedule
Binghamton will be tested on the road throughout the season, as the Bearcats only have eight matches at home in the West Gym this year. Three of which comes during the Bearcat Classic, which is being held from Sept. 10-12. The Bearcats host Temple, Cornell and New Haven during the latest installment of their home tournament. The rest of their home slate consists of their five America East matches against Bryant (Oct. 3), UMBC (Oct. 9), UAlbany (Oct. 11), New Hampshire (Oct. 25) and NJIT (Nov. 8).
 
The Bearcats compete in three other tournaments on the road this season, starting with this weekend's Rocket Invitational at Toledo. Binghamton will also take part in Sacred Heart's tournament from Sept. 4-5 and Dartmouth's invitational from Sept. 18-20.
 
Additionally, Binghamton will have two non-conference matches on the road during the month of October. The Bearcats take on Fairleigh Dickinson in Hackensack, N.J., on Oct. 20, and then Colgate in Hamilton, N.Y., on Oct. 28.
 
Binghamton's season officially begins Friday with its first two matches at the Rocket Invitational. The Bearcats first face Bradley at 10 a.m., followed by Oakland at 2:30 p.m. Binghamton closes out its first tournament by facing 2025 Mid-American Conference tournament champion Toledo Saturday at noon.
 
Hinman, Howard & Katell, LLP is the presenting sponsor of Bearcats Volleyball.