Press Releases

For Immediate Release: August 21, 2006
Contact: Anthony G. Naglieri (sports@binghamton.edu)
Phone: 607-777-2956

Binghamton volleyball tabbed as playoff team in preseason poll
Bearcats picked to finish second behind only SUNY rival Albany

America East release

VESTAL, N.Y. - The Binghamton University volleyball team will head into the 2006 campaign carrying unprecedented expectations after being selected to finish second in the America East Conference this season and make its third-consecutive appearance in the league tournament, according to the preseason poll of the league coaches.

For the second consecutive year, the University of Albany has been picked to repeat atop the conference. The Great Danes received 35 overall points, including five of seven first-place votes, to edge the Bearcats, who finished with 32 points and two first-place votes to their credit. 2005 America East runnerup Stony Brook took third with 21 points, while New Hampshire and UMBC tied for the fourth spot. Maine and Hartford, resepectively, rounded out the seven-team poll.

Since joining the America East in 2002, Coach Kiriyama and the Bearcat women have made a habit of exceeding preseason expectations. In fact, Binghamton has surpassed its expected standing in each of its four years as a conference member.

After being chosen to finish sixth in the seven-team league in 2005, Binghamton reeled off a Division I program-best 20 victories, including a 10-2 conference mark, culminating in the program's first-ever America East Championship and subsequent berth to the NCAA Tournament.

Binghamton returns five starters and 11 of its 13 letterwinners from the record-setting 2005 squad. The Bearcats return three all-conference players from a year ago in junior Jackie Kane (Centennial, Colo.) and seniors Ashley Meffert (Louisville, Ky.) and team captain Megan Hoag (Brunswick, Ohio). Binghamton opens the 2006 campaign this weekend, August 25-26 at the sixth-annual Rocket Classic in Ohio.

Once again, the top-four teams in the standings at the end of the regular season will advance to the America East Championship with the winner receiving the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The semifinals will be contested Nov. 17, with the final taking place the following day. Each of the tournament matches will be hosted by the league's regular season champion.

2006 America East Preseason Poll
Rk.,Team	Pts. (1st)	'05 Record (Conf.)	'05 Finish	'05 Poll
1. Albany	35 (5)	28-4 (11-1)	1st	1st
2. Binghamton	32 (2)	20-12 (10-2)	2nd	6th
3. Stony Brook	21	12-18 (5-7 )	4th	t4th
t4. UMBC	18	11-18 (4-8)	t5th	t4th
t4. New Hampshire	18	7-20 (4-8)	t5th	3rd
6. Maine	17	11-13 (8-4)	3rd	2nd
7. Hartford	6	8-22 (0-12)	7th	7th