The second-seeded UMBC volleyball team (15-8, 7-3 America East) takes on No. 3 Bryant (19-11, 6-4 AE) in the second semi-final match of the 2022 America East Championships. The match gets underway at Binghamton University's West Gym with a 4:00 p.m. start time.

No. 1 Binghamton (17-7, 8-2 AE) meets No. 4 New Hampshire (19-8, 6-4 AE) in the first semi-final at 1:00 p.m. The two victors advance to the championship match at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 20. All matches will be broadcast on ESPN+.

The Retrievers are looking to become the first league program to capture three consecutive titles since New Hampshire recorded four in a row from 2013-16.

UMBC ALL-CONFERENCE SELECTIONS
Five Retrievers earned 2022 America East All-Conference honors, as voted on by the league's coaches.

Junior libero Aysia Miller earned Defensive Specialist of the Year honors, and was named to the league's Second Team. The award was the second major honor for Miller, as she earned Setter of the Year honors as a freshman in the spring of 2021.She is only the second player in America East history to win both a Setter of the Year and a Defensive Specialist of the Year in a career.
  
Sophomore outside hitter Mia Bilusic earned her second consecutive First Team honor, and was joined on the First Team by senior outside hitter Kamani Conteh. The honor was Conteh's second league award; she earned All-Rookie Team accolades in 2019.

Sophomore middle blocker Mila Ilieva joined Miller on the Second Team, a year after earning America East All-Rookie Team honors.    

Freshman setter Serin Maden was named to the league's All-Rookie Team.

The America East also named Miller (3.88, biological sciences) and Conteh (3.77, media and communication studies) to the All-Academic Team. It was Miller's second consecutive academic honor and the first for Conteh.

RETRIEVER NOTEBOOK
·       UMBC closed the campaign on a positive note, sweeping host UAlbany, 25-19, 25-19, 25-13 to sew up the No. 2 seed in the tournament.  
·       The Retrievers won 10 of their last 13 matches and are 14-5 in their last 19.
·       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
            o   Michela DeMarzi, R-So, Defensive Specialist of the Week, Nov. 14
·       UMBC currently leads America East in assists (12.04), kills (12.87) and service aces (1.85) per set.
·       Bilusic (4.09) and Conteh (3.90) are 1-2 in the league in kills per set. Bilusic is also tops in services aces (0.47), while Maden is far and away the leader in assists at 9.84 assists per set through 89 sets in 2022.
·       Bilusic earned America East First Team, All-Rookie Team and Rookie of the Year honors in the fall of 2021.  
·       Conteh has more than doubled her previous season high in kills, putting away 336 in 2022, after recording 175 in her freshman campaign of 2019. She produced 91 kills in 2020-21 and 2021 combined.  
·       Junior Aysia Miller has retaken the conference lead in digs per set (4.24) – the libero is playing her third different position (setter, outside hitter, libero) in three seasons on Hilltop Circle.
·       Despite not having played the setter role since 2020, Miller has posted triple figures in assists in all three seasons and is closing in on 1,000 career assists (973). She earned America East All-Tournament Team honors in the fall of 2021.
·       Sophomore Mila Ilieva is second in the conference in blocks per set at 1.22. She earned America East All-Rookie Team honors in the fall of 2021.
·       De Marzi recorded a career-high 10 blocks at UAlbany on Sunday and posted a total of 17 in two weekend matches. She earned America East All-Tournament Team honors in the spring of 2021.  
·       Through matches of Nov. 15, Bilusic was 28th in the nation in services aces per set.
·       The Retrievers are 20th nationally in aces per set.

UMBC NCAA DIVISION I CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT HISTORY
·       UMBC has won four conference titles in three different leagues – capturing the Big South crown in 1996, the Northeast Conference title in 1998 and the America East Championship in both the spring and fall of 2021.
·       This will be UMBC's 11th appearance in the America East Conference Championships in 20 league seasons. (2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2020-21, 2021). The Retrievers have competed in five title matches (2006, 2010, 2013, 2020-21, 2021), capturing the last two championships.
 
TOURNAMENT RECORDS VS. 2021 ENTRANTS
o   Bryant (First Meeting)
o   Binghamton (2-2; W, 3-1, SF, 2006; L, 2-3, SF, 2008; W, 3-0, SF, 2010; L, 2-3, SF, 2012)  
o   New Hampshire (0-1; L, 2-3, F, 2013)