BALTIMORE – The UMBC volleyball squad stayed perfect in America East Conference play, winning their sixth consecutive match with a 3-0 triumph over Binghamton at Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena.
UMBC (11-10, 6-0 AE) cruised to a 25-15, 25-11, 25-19 triumph over the Bearcats (6-11, 2-3).
The dynamic offensive tandem of freshman Mia Bulisic (Zagreb, Croatia) and graduate student Grace Rigsbee (Suwanee, Ga.) recorded 16 and 13 kills respectively. Rigsbee hit .440 for the match, while junior setter Andjelija Draskovic (Vrnjacka Banja, Serbia) dished out 36 assists.
The six-match winning streak is UMBC's longest since an eight-game surge in 2013.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Leading 9-6 in the first set, the Retrievers put together a 7-2 run to take a commanding 17-9 lead. Bilusic started the rally with three kills out of four points.
- In the second set, UMBC again put together a big run in the early stages to assume control. UMBC led, 8-6, and an Aysia Miller (MIliani, Hawaii) kill sparked a massive 17-5 run to end the set. Draskovic served back-to-back aces early in the run and Rigsbee knocked off three kills in the final five UMBC points.
- The Retrievers jumped out to leads of 5-0 and 11-4 in the third set, but Binghamton would battle back to close to 14-12. A combined block by Miller and sophomore Beste Ayhan (Istanbul, Turkey) and back-to-back kills by Rigsbee restored order and the Retrievers closed out the match, 25-19.
NOTABLE
- UMBC's league-leading defense continued to shine as they held the visitors to -.009 hitting and a total of 15 kills for the match. The Retrievers amassed 68 digs to 44 for Binghamton and were led by graduate student Loren Teter (Redondo Beach, Calif.), who recorded 20.
UMBC concludes its three-game homestand by welcoming NJIT on Sunday, Oct. 17 at 1:00 p.m.
