BOSTON – Binghamton capped off a 3-0 weekend to improve to 4-5 overall. UAlbany, New Hampshire and Bryant battled with tough opponents, each ending the week 1-2 to highlight a competitive week of #AEVB action.
Need to Know
- Binghamton posted an undefeated weekend, taking the crown at the Binghamton Invitational. The Bearcats started the weekend with two dominant sweeps over Mercyhurst and Canisius. Binghamton returned to the court Sunday and battled Bucknell in a thrilling five-set match to secure the crown. It is the Bearcats' first victory this season in five sets.
- UAlbany started the weekend strong with a sweep of Dartmouth. The Great Danes battled with ACC opponent, Boston College, in a five-set thriller. The undefeated Eagles came out victorious, but the Great Danes fought until the end.
- New Hampshire returned from the Rutgers Invitational with a 1-2 record. The Wildcats were able to secure the first win of the weekend against Saint Francis, 3-1. Head Coach Christopher Feliciano celebrated his 100th win following the win.
- Bryant picked up a win Wednesday night against Holy Cross. In the Bulldogs home opener, the team rallied to take down Holy Cross 3-1 with Arianna Ugolini leading the pack with a game-high of 21 kills in the victory.
- Multiple #AEVB Matches this weekend, highlighted by UAlbany heading to Texas for the Red Raider Classic, Binghamton competing in the Kathy DeBoer Invitational at Michigan State and Bryant travels to Boston for the Boston College Invitational. UMBC hosts the Hometown Heroes Match against Howard Saturday.
- The #AEVB preseason poll and All-Conference teams were announced on August 7 - link.
Weekly Award Winners – Sept. 16
Player of the Week
Merima Smajlovic, Binghamton – Senior, Outside Hitter, Istanbul, Turkey
- Finished the weekend averaging 4.18 kills per set and 2.82 digs per set while hitting .330 with just 11 errors.
- The outside hitter recorded 46 kills, 31 digs, six blocks, and four service aces as the team went 3-0 over the weekend.
- This is Smajlovic’s first career #AEVB Player of the Week award.
Setter of the Week
Maria Olga Siapani, UAlbany – So., Setter, Limassol, Cyprus
- Averaged 8.60 assists and 2.00 digs per set with 20 total digs and six blocks over the weekend.
- Tallied 86 assists over the weekend including 49 against Boston College.
- This is Siapani’s second #AEVB Setter of the Week honor this year.
Rookie of the Week
Maya Coblentz-Brown, Binghamton – Fr., Right Side Hitter, Irvine, California
- Made the Binghamton Invitational team and put up 32 kills, nine total blocks, seven digs and one assist while helping the Bearcats win all three of their matches.
- Finished the weekend averaging 2.91 kills and 3.36 points per set while hitting an impressive .346 with just five total errors.
- This is Coblentz-Brown’s second #AEVB Rookie of the Week honor.
Defensive Player of the Week
Brooke Malek, UAlbany – Redshirt Jr., Defensive Specialist, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Had 52 digs and the highest average of digs per set (4.73) over the weekend.
- Tallied 20 digs in five-set thriller against Boston College.
- This is Malek’s second #AEVB Defensive Specialist of the Week honor in a row.
2025 #AEVB Weekly Award Winners
Sept. 16 – Player of the Week: Merima Smajlovic, Binghamton; Setter of the Week: Maria Olga Siapani, UAlbany; Rookie of the Week: Maya Coblentz-Brown, Binghamton; Defensive Player of the Week: Brook Malek, UAlbany
Sept. 9 – Player of the Week: Shynelle Woroniuk, UAlbany; Setter of the Week: Finley McAndrew, NJIT; Rookie of the Week: Maya Coblentz-Brown, Binghamton; Defensive Player of the Week: Brooke Malek, UAlbany
Sept. 3 – Player & Rookie of the Week: Lucy Chertock, New Hampshire; Setter of the Week: Maria Olga Siapani, UAlbany; Defensive Player of the Week: Hannah Howard, UMBC
Links
Info
Fans will once again be able to watch nearly every #AEVB contest this season with the majority of games airing on ESPN+ and the ESPN app while others will air on AmericaEast.TV. Those games will be available on computers, OTT devices and the America East app, which is available on all IOS and Android devices and can be found by searching ‘America East Conference’ in app stores.
Follow the @AmericaEast channels on Twitter and Instagram to stay up-to-date on America East volleyball news all season long and use #AEVB to join the conversation.
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