For Immediate Release: August 29, 2008
Contact: Matt Muzza (sports@binghamton.edu)
Phone: 607-777-2956

Binghamton volleyball sweeps Rutgers in season opener
Team sets new single match hitting percentage record

Box Score

FLAGSTAFF, ARIZ. -- Binghamton (1-0) used a well-balanced offensive attack to defeat Rutgers (0-1), 3-0 (25-14, 25-16, 25-11) on Friday night in the opening match of the Hilton Garden Inn/Northern Arizona University Invitational.

The Bearcats offense was on point as the team hit at a .393 percentage (43-10-84) to set a new school Division I single match record.

Sophomore hitter Michelle McDonough (Orland Hills, Ill.) led the offensive attack with a match-high nine kills and sophomore hitter Anna Lejina (Riga, Latvia) excelled in her Bearcat debut by posting eight kills and seven digs.

Junior middle Dawn Lammert (Sussex, Wis.) totaled seven kills and three blocks and senior outside Ashley Allen (Mill Creek, Wash.) contributed six kills and four blocks.

Sophomore setter Lindsey Mueller (West Bend, Wis.) dished out 33 assists while running the offense and senior libero Jaclyn Strader (Kettering, Ohio) came up with 11 digs.

"It was an overall good performance," head coach Glenn Kiriyama said. "The team was scrappy in the back row and we also passed well. We did a lot of good things tonight."

Rutgers was led by Emma Chrystal, who had seven kills.

Binghamton will have two more matches on Saturday at the tournament, facing Akron at 1 p.m. and Northern Arizona at 10 p.m.

Notes...the previous team hitting percentage in a single match record was .354 and was set against Delaware on September 24, 2005...with her 11 digs, Strader moves past Ashley Meffert (1,266) as the Bearcats all-time Division I leader in career digs...Strader now has 1,272 in her four-year career