UMBC (9-5, 2-0 America East Conference) will face its first two-match weekend of the America East season facing NJIT in Newark on Friday, Oct. 14, before hosting UAlbany at Chesapeake Arena at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday.
Both matches will be broadcast on the America East Digital Network.  

RETRIEVER NOTEBOOK
·       UMBC rebounded from a slow start to rally past host Binghamton in a five-set thriller (15-25, 26-24, 14-25, 25-22, 15-12) on Friday night in Vestal, N.Y. Sophomore outside hitter Mia Bilusic (Zagreb, Croatia) finished with a match-best 23 kills, to go with nine digs and two blocks. Junior libero Aysia Miller (Mililani, Hawaii) had a game-high 19 digs, while freshman setter Serin Maden (Ankara, Turkey) added 51 assists to lead all players.   
·       The Retrievers have won four straight and eight of their last ten matches.
·       UMBC has only earned one three-set victory of their nine on the season (versus Bryant). The Retrievers improved to 3-1 in five-setters in 2022.
·       UMBC has now won 17 consecutive regular season America East matches, 20 in a row versus league foes (including league tournament play) and 13 straight at Chesapeake Arena.
·       2022 America East honorees
    o   Mia Bilusic, So, Player of the Week, Sept. 13, Oct. 4
    o   Kamani Conteh, Sr., Player of the Week, Sept. 20
    o   Serin Maden, Fr., Setter of the Week, Aug. 30, Sept. 7, Sept. 13
    o   Aysia Miller, Jr., Defensive Specialist of the Week, Sept. 7, Sept. 27 
·       UMBC currently leads America East in assists (12.51) and kills (13.48) per set.
·       Bilusic (4.41) and Conteh (4.29) are 1-2 in the league in kills per set. Bilusic is also tops in services aces (0.50), while Maden is far and away the leader in assists at 10.61 assists per set through 47 sets in 2022. Miller leads the AE in digs per set         (4.34) – the libero is playing her third different position (setter, outside hitter, libero) in three seasons on Hilltop Circle. Through matches of Oct. 4, Bilusic was tied for 32nd in the nation in services aces per set, while Maden was 26th in assists per set.         The Retrievers are 48th in the nation in assists per set (12.46).

A GLANCE AT THE HIGHLANDERS    
?      NJIT enters the match with an overall record of 6-15, and has dropped its first three America East matches of the season.
?      Most recently, NJIT fell, 3-0, to Binghamton on Oct. 9. The set scores were fairly close at 25-22, 25-17, 25-20.
?      Junior Elley Torres led the way with 13 kills versus the Bearcats. Torres (2.0 kills per set), sophomore Asher Vallone (2.45 kps) and senior Adriana Goetz-Morales (2.08 kps) all average more than 2.0 kills per set.
?      NJIT is the second-best blocking team in America East at 2.10 blocks per set.   
?      The Retrievers have won all seven previous matches versus NJIT, including a 4-0 mark since the Highlanders joined the AE. Last season, UMBC swept the home-and-home series by identical 3-0 margins.
 
A GLANCE AT THE GREAT DANES     
·       UAlbany, a program that has been UMBC's opponent in each of the 2021 America East title matches, enters play on Sunday with an overall mark of 6-13 and 1-2 conference record.
·       In their most recent outing, UA was swept by host Bryant in three tight sets (25-23, 25-22, 25-21). Junior Hannah Rowe led all players with 16 kills in the match.
·       Rowe averages 2.96 kills per set, trailing only team leader sophomore Alexa Harris, who averages 3.15 kills per set.
·       UAlbany is tops in America East in opponent kills, only allowing 11.97 per set.
·       The Great Danes enjoy a 34-13 series lead over UMBC, but the Retrievers have won four straight, bookended by a pair of America East Championship victories.
·       In the 2021 fall championship, UAlbany jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but UMBC roared back to capture the match, 3-2.

UP NEXT
UMBC has the week off before facing New Hampshire in Durham on Sunday, 23 at 1:00 p.m.