The last non-conference match of the 2025 BGSU volleyball (6-6) season saw the Falcons facing off against the Binghamton Bearcats (5-8) in East Lansing for the Kathy DeBoar tournament.
After a disappointing four-set loss to Michigan State, the Falcons looked to take home a win in their last match of the tournament and before the start of MAC play.
BG senior right side Lauryn Hovey did not play in the match, and the Falcons would miss her strong hitting and her leadership on the floor.
Despite the absence of Hovey, the Falcons played with more confidence than they did in the loss to MSU yesterday. The hitting was faster, and the defense was solid, like it was against the Spartans.
In the first set, Bowling Green and Binghamton battled back and forth the entire time. The Orange and Brown pulled ahead late and won the set 25-23 due to the offense stepping up after falling short on Friday.
The Falcons jumped out to a six-point lead to start the second set, causing Bearcat head coach Allie Yaeger to burn a timeout as the score read 11-5.
BGSU would keep Binghamton in the rear-view mirror for the rest of the set. They attempted to make a run at the set point, but the Falcons would win 25-18.
Bowling Green continued to build momentum into the third set, but their service errors kept the Bearcats close, with 15-12 as the score heading into the media timeout.
However, the BG offense proved to be too much for the Binghamton defense, which had been a strength of the Bearcats in their first two matches of the tournament. The Falcons swept 3-0 in the match, with a final set score of 25-18.
Junior outside hitter Avery Hobson played phenomenally in this one. She had double-digit kills not even halfway through the second set and ended the match with 19 kills on a .457 hitting percentage with three aces and four digs.
Reshirt sophomore middle blocker Helen Wilford also had herself a great game. She took advantage of the opportunities coming her way and had five kills on five attacks plus two total blocks.
Senior middle blocker Jessica Andrews put up an excellent performance from the right side in Hovey’s absence, tallying 10 kills on a .529 hitting percentage.
Bowling Green now returns home to the Stroh Center for their first match of conference play in 2025 against the Ohio Bobcats at 6:00 p.m. Tune into WBGU 88.1 FM for the call with Falcon Media Sports Network’s Andrew Smith and Aiden Brueck at 5:45 p.m. for pregame.
