A slow start was overcome by a fast finish and the University of Maine volleyball team has once again propelled itself into the America East conference tournament as the third seed.

After winning 10 of their last 15 regular season matches, the 11-12 Black Bears find themselves heading into an 8 p.m. Friday semifinal against second-seeded Binghamton University at Binghamton, N.Y.

The Bears will be led by senior middle blocker Shannan Fotter, who is fourth among AE players in points with 4.3 per game, fifth in hitting percentage (.299), and eighth in kills with 3.5 per game.

Other key players include junior libero (defensive specialist) Jody Connacher, who is third in the AE with 4.4 digs per game and seventh in service aces with 0.47; junior setter Shelly Seip, second in assists with 11.4 per game and service aces with 0.57; and freshman middle blocker Amy Lawson, who has come on quickly with a .239 hitting percentage (10th in AE) and .97 blocks per game (third).

Senior middle blocker-outsider hitter Leah Guidinger is averaging 3.1 kills per game, freshman hitter Lindsay Allman is averaging 3.3 digs per game, freshman libero Ashlee Wright has 0.39 service aces per game and senior hitter Kaili Jordan is averaging 3.51 points per game.

Jacki Kane leads the conference with 1.36 blocks per game and is seventh in hitting percentage at .289. Katie Brody is fifth among AE players in kills (3.74 per game) and points (4.33).

Maine went 8-4 in conference play, including a 1-1 record against the Bearcats as each team won at home. Binghamton is 18-11 overall and 10-2 in conference play.

Cleaver makes 3rd-team cut

Cait Cleaver is the first Colby College volleyball player in the program’s history to be named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-America Team.

Cleaver, a senior outside hitter who is Colby’s all-time leader in career kills (1,554) and defensive digs (1,635), was named to the AVCA All-America third team after leading the White Mules in kills this season with 3.91 per game.

Also receiving AVCA honors was Colby teammate Kaitlin Adams, who achieved All-America honorable mention status. Cleaver, a Pennsylvania native, is one of two New England college players picked as one of the 12 All-American honorees.

Cleaver is a four-time All-New England Small College Athletic Conference selection, holds Colby’s single-season records for kills with 539, four-game match kills with 22, and five-game match digs with 44. This year, she’s second in total blocks (102), third in digs (542) and fourth in service aces (49).

Adams led the NESCAC this season in hitting percentage (.385) and will end her career with single-season and career hitting-percentage records. This year she leads the team in blocks (133), is second in kills (418), and third in service aces (59).

Cleaver and Adams are leading the 37-3 White Mules into an NCAA Division III quarterfinal match against defending national champion Juniata College tonight at 8:30 in Salem, Va.