Yesterday, Binghamton University sent its women's volleyball team on a three-and-a-half hour bus ride to State College. When the players left at 6:30 a.m., it marked 37 hours until they dance with a team, town and tournament they've never seen.

When the clock strikes 7:30 tonight at Rec Hall, the NCAA Tournament begins for the anti-Cinderella, the No. 2 Penn State women's volleyball team. The Nittany Lions (29-2) will get to walk the Bearcats (20-11) through their first time, as Binghamton has never competed in the Division I tourney.

The bus was quiet, because the Bearcat players slept through most of it. Binghamton women's volleyball head coach Glenn Kiriyama didn't mind the ride. He has traveled to Happy Valley before on recruiting trips.

"I know people have said it is out in the middle of nowhere," Kiriyama said. "But a lot of people think Binghamton is like that, too."

If players on the Lions haven't heard of the Bearcats, Kiriyama wouldn't be surprised. Growing up on the West Coast, he had never heard of Binghamton until he was offered a coaching position. Kiriyama took the head job with the Bearcats when the team was still in Division II.

"I just wanted to coach," Kiriyama said. "I knew it would be a good challenge, building a program basically from scratch."

This week Kiriyama has been taking more calls from the press, something he knows rarely happens when you are in the America East Conference. Like Penn State this season, Binghamton was individually awarded its share of recognition. Kiriyama was honored as the top coach, while 6-foot-2 middle blocker Jackie Kane was named the Player of the Year.

Yet the competition in the America East isn't quite like the Big Ten. Kiriyama knows that the Lions' talent advantage is substantial. Bearcat freshman Brianna Strong was on the America East All-Rookie team at 5-foot-10. That is one inch shorter than Penn State's setter and Big Ten Player of the Year, Sam Tortorello.

When the Bearcat coaching staff goes out recruiting, it isn't trying to attract Big Ten-type talent. Kiriyama rarely goes after highly touted players, sticking to lower profile players. Only a couple of times has he ever recruited a club player and been notified that she was going to a Big Ten school.

"Usually you have a good idea, but sometimes you take a chance and you find out she's out of your league," Kiriyama said. "But you have to take chances like that if you want to get better."

Penn State is well followed in the Binghamton area. The names of Tortorello and senior libero Kaleena Walters aren't foreign to them. One of the biggest obstacles for the Bearcats is to not be in awe of the Lions' athletes and their home arena.

Kiriyama had his team practice in Rec Hall for the first time last night.

"Obviously it is going to be a big hurdle," Kiriyama said. "We need to limit hitting errors and just hope that we don't freeze. Penn State is pretty well known, their media coverage is good and the East Coast region follows them closely."

Penn State women's volleyball coach Russ Rose knows that Binghamton won't just be happy to be there. While the prognosticators might foresee this match finishing in under an hour, Rose knows every team in the NCAA tournament will be giving its all.

"There are 64 teams who have the same dream of winning their next match in a rally score era," Rose said.

In the sub-regional's other game, Cornell takes on Long Island with the winner facing Penn State or Binghamton at 7 tomorrow in the second round.

Kiriyama is just hoping that his team can perform its best in its first national tournament attempt.

"I hope we play well and leave an impression playing one of the top schools," Kiriyama said. "Just being a part of the NCAA tournament brings recognition."

That way the bus ride home will be just as short and sweet as the one here. The Bearcats just want to make it worth the trip.