For Immediate Release: October 20, 2006
Contact: Anthony G. Naglieri (sports@binghamton.edu)
Phone: 607-777-2956

Volleyball continues home dominance, outlast Maine in five games
Bearcats register program-best 11th straight triumph on home floor

Box Score

VESTAL, N.Y - The Binghamton volleyball team pulled out a hard-fought five-game victory (23-30, 30-24, 30-21, 32-34, 15-8) over visiting Maine on Friday night in America East Conference action at the West Gym. The Bearcats have now won a program-best 11 straight matches on their home floor and seven of their last nine overall.

"This was a good, well-earned victory," said head coach Glenn Kiriyama. "Our passing and serving really picked up as the match progressed and proved to be key down the stretch."

Binghamton (10-14, 5-1 AE) placed four players in double figure kills, led by senior Megan Hoag's (Brunswick, Ohio) team-high 15 kills at a match-high .400 clip. Sophomore Ashley Allen contributed 13, while juniors Jacki Kane and Kathleen Schauer tacked on 12 and 11 respectively. Kane also added a match-high eight blocks.

Senior setter Ashley Meffert (Louisville, Ky.) ran the balanced Bearcat attack superbly, recording her second-straight and ninth overall double-double of the season with 45 assists and a match-high 23 digs.

Sophomore libero Jaclyn Strader (Kettering, Ohio) was a force from the service line where she tallied a career-high five aces. Strader also added 15 digs.

The two teams split the first two games, with the Black Bears taking the opener 30-23 and Binghamton squaring things up after leading from wire to wire with a 30-24 game-two victory.

On the strength of an 11-2 run midway through the match's third frame, BU cruised to a comfortable 30-21 triumph to take a two games to one advantage.

Game four was a wild affair that featured 12 ties and 8 lead changes. Trailing 29-25, the Bearcats fought valiantly, reeling off five consecutive points to stake a 30-29 lead. BU, however, was unable to seal the deal, as the Black Bears overcame two match points to register a 34-32 victory and force a fifth and deciding game.

Bolstered by the support of a boisterous home crowd, the Bearcat women jumped out to a 10-4 lead in the final frame and never looked back, posting a 15-8 win.

For Maine (4-15, 2-4 AE), Laura Goettsch put down a match-high 16 kills while teammate Jessica Wolfenden notched a double-double with 12 kills and 15 digs.

Binghamton continues its three-game homestand on Sunday afternoon against Hartford. First serve is set for 2 p.m.

Notes: Dating back to last season, Binghamton has now won 15 of its last 18 (.833 pct.) America East Conference matches...BU is now 3-2 in five-game matches...Meffert's 23 digs left her just one shy of equaling her career high set September 8 at Harvard...Strader has now recorded double-digit digs in seven straight and in 20 of 24 overall matches this season.