Volleyball Commences 2024 Campaign at the Bearcat Classic

Friday, August 30

Vestal, N.Y.

1 p.m.

Bucknell University

Toledo

Volleyball Commences 2024 Campaign at the Bearcat Classic

8/29/2024 9:38:00 AM | Volleyball

Setting the Scene, Part I
Who: Bucknell (0-0) vs. Toledo (0-0)
When: Friday, Aug. 30 at 1 p.m.
Where: Events Center – Vestal, N.Y.
Live Video: AmericaEastTV
Live Stats: binghamtonbearcats.com

Setting the Scene, Part II
Who: Bucknell (0-0) vs. Merrimack (0-0)
When: Friday, Aug. 30 at 4 p.m.
Where: Events Center – Vestal, N.Y.
Live Video: AmericaEastTV
Live Stats: binghamtonbearcats.com

Setting the Scene, Part III
Who: Bucknell (0-0) at Binghamton (0-0)
When: Saturday, Aug. 31 at 1:30 p.m.
Where: Events Center – Vestal, N.Y.
Live Video: ESPN +
Live Stats: binghamtonbearcats.com

About Bucknell

The Bison starts their 46th season at the Bearcat Classic. The season begins with two neutral site games against MAC foe Toledo and NEC opponent Merrimack and a Saturday showdown with host Binghamton. All three matches will be streamed with the Binghamton game on ESPN+ and the other two contests on AmericaEastTV and live stats will be available for all three games. The links are in this preview and on the Bucknell volleyball schedule page.
Bucknell is 15-12 in non-conference matchups under Head Coach Tyler Hagstrom. In 2023, Bucknell went 4-5 in non-conference games against a challenging schedule. The 2022 Bison were 7-2 in non-conference games, including a 6-0 start. That start was the best in Bucknell's history.
The annual Patriot League preseason poll tabbed Bucknell to finish third. Reigning champion Colgate was picked to defend their crown. Bucknell ended Colgate's 33-game home winning streak last year in an epic five-set match.
Senior Jordan Hardy defended her title as the Preseason Libero of the Year. Hardy won the 2023 Patriot League Libero of the Year, the first time a Bison player won the honor. She and Catherine Jamison also become the first Orange & Blue players to win First Team All-Patriot League honors since Heidi Kemp in 2010. The libero won the first AVCA honor in Bucknell history when she earned AVCA Northeast All-Region Honorable Mention.
Hardy led the Patriot League in digs (537), 29 more than the nearest opposition, and digs per serve (5.54). Her digs per set mark ranked seventh nationally and she helped Bucknell finish third nationally in digs per set (17.84). Her 1511 career digs are 78 away from the Bucknell record.
The Orange & Blue return a healthy core of players but did lose five pillars to graduaton, including outside hitter and First Team All-Patriot League honoree Catherine Jamison and constant starter Libby Nieporte. Sophomore Sidney Shaffer, the 2023 Patriot League Rookie of the Year and member of the 2024 Patriot League Preseason Team with Hardy, returns to strengthen the Bucknell offense and defense. Along with the returners, the Bison greet three newcomers, Sarah Hilliard, Emily Kearney, and Bella Rodriguez to the team.
Hagstrom enters his fifth season at the helm of the Bison herd, having turned around a program mired in the Patriot League basement. He is joined by fourth-year assistant Jeremy Young.

Scouting Toledo/Series History

The Rockets finished 14-17 last season but went 11-7 in MAC play. They defeated Ohio in the MAC Quarterfinals before falling to Western Michigan in the MAC Semifinals.
Fifth-year senior Taylor Alt headlines the Rockets. She is the first Rocket to earn First-Team All-MAC honors four times and leads the program in kills (1,707).
Head coach Justin Oliver enters his seventh season and has posted continued improvement, becoming the first coach to guide the Rockets to back-to-back winning seasons in MAC play.
Toledo is projected to finish sixth in the 12-team MAC. Alt was the only Rocket named to the Preseason All-MAC Team.
Bucknell is 0-1 all-time against Toledo. The only game happened in 2018.

Scouting Merrimack/Series History

Merrimack concluded its final NEC season with a 7-21 overall record and a 6-8 conference mark. The Warriors did not meet the qualifications for the NEC Tournament. Their season, and NEC tenure, ended with a sweep by fellow NEC defector, Sacred Heart.
Both Merrimack and Sacred Heart are the newest members of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC).
Julz Carlet made Second Team All-NEC in 2023. She collected 287 kills and 226 digs.
Ray Lewis enters his second season as the interim volleyball coach for Merrimack. He also coaches the men's team.
Merrimack was picked to finish 11th in the MAAC Preseason poll out of 12 teams. No Merrimack players were selected for the Preseason Team.
This will mark the first-ever meeting between the Bison and the Warriors.

Scouting Binghamton/Series History

The Bearcats went 15-13 overall and 6-4 in America East play last season. As the third-seed in the conference tournament, they upset two-seeded New Hampshire before top-seeded UMBC swept the Bearcats in the championship match.
Ten players return for Binghamton with nine freshmen joining the Bearcats.
Allie Yaeger enters her third season as head coach.
They are projected to finish second in the six-team America East. The reigning Player of the Year Tsvetelina Ilieva and Rookie of the Year Misa Dlouha earned selection to the first America East Preseason All-Conference honor roll. .
Bucknell is 0-1 all-time against Binghamton. The sole game occurred in 2001.

Up Next

Bucknell remains on the road next weekend at the William & Mary Invitational. The team plays host William & Mary on Sept 6. and George Mason and Quinnipiac on Sept. 7.