HANOVER, N.H. – The Binghamton volleyball team (7-3) extended its winning streak to seven matches with a 3-1 victory over Dartmouth (3-4) Friday at Leede Arena in the opening match of the Dartmouth Invitational. The Bearcats prevailed 25-16, 24-26, 25-14, 27-25.
Viktoria Dimitrova posted a season-high 19 kills to lead Binghamton, while
Magi Milicevic recorded her first double-double in Division I after putting up 12 kills and 13 digs.
Regan Kadel also had 35 assists. Meanwhile,
Hannah Olmstead finished with a match-high eight blocks for the second match in a row, as the Bearcats finished the match with 16 blocks to the Big Green's four.
Binghamton's seven-match winning streak matches the program's longest since 2024, when the Bearcats closed out the regular season winning their last seven contests. Also, by starting this season 7-3, Binghamton matches its best start to a year over its opening 10 matches since 2024, when the Bearcats also began that season 7-3.
In the opening set, Binghamton held on to a slight lead at 11-10. Then, the Bearcats went on an 11-3 run to break the frame open and extend their lead to 22-13. During that stretch, both Dimitrova and Milicevic had two kills each. Dimitrova added another kill later in the set, as Binghamton eventually took the first frame. Binghamton ultimately hit 56 percent as a team during the first set.
With Binghamton trailing 11-10 in the second set, the Bearcats scored six unanswered points to retake the lead at 16-11. Dartmouth chipped away at the deficit, however, eventually using a 4-0 run to move ahead 23-22. Binghamton jumped back ahead 24-23 with back-to-back kills from
Francesca Pierdonati and Dimitrova. But Dartmouth ultimately scored the final three points to win the set and tie the match at 1.
Binghamton responded by going wire-to-wire to win the third set. The Bearcats led by as much as 12 points at 21-9, before eventually closing out the frame to retake the lead in the match at 2-1.
Maya Coblentz-Brown put up four of her 10 kills during the frame, while Dimitrova added another four throughout the set.
Briana Binagi also put up two of her match-high three service aces during the set.
Like the second set, the fourth would go down to the wire. There would be 19 tie scores and 10 lead changes throughout the frame. Down 24-23, Pierdonati recorded a kill to extend the set. After Dartmouth got a kill to move ahead at 25-24, Pierdonati countered with another kill to tie the set at 25. Binghamton's defense then closed out the match. First, Dimitrova and Olmstead combined to block an attack from the Big Green to put the Bearcats ahead 26-25. Then, Olmstead teamed up with Kadel to block another attack from Dartmouth and give Binghamton the match.
The Bearcats attempt to extend their winning streak to eight matches when they face Boston College (7-1) at 3 p.m., on Saturday in their second match at the Dartmouth Invitational at Leede Arena.
Hinman, Howard & Katell, LLP is the presenting sponsor of Bearcats Volleyball.
