In the playoffs, it’s all about momentum, and that’s exactly what the Bearcats will try to gain this weekend in their final two regular season games against America East rivals.

The Binghamton volleyball team (14-15, 8-2 AE) will travel to face the New Hampshire Wildcats (10-15, 5-5 AE) on Saturday and then head to Maine to take on the Black Bears (6-18, 4-6 AE) on Sunday. If the Bearcats can pull away with two victories, they will share the honors of regular season champions with Albany in what has been a tough but remarkable season.

The matchups this weekend will be a test for the Bearcats, for they have bested both New Hampshire and Maine previously, but the games have been close. Binghamton almost gave away a win to sixth-ranked Maine on Oct. 20, but the team was able to pull together for the final set and come away with the victory.

“We know it’s going to be tough on the road, but we have confidence for this weekend,” said coach Glenn Kiriyama. “We’re familiar with the teams; we just have to make sure we have our fundamentals down.”

The Bearcats are riding a two-game winning streak since being swept by top-ranked Albany on Oct. 30. That match put Albany in first place and left the Bearcats scrambling to try and win back the right to host the America East tournament.

“Anytime you lose it’s going to bring you down,” said senior outside hitter Katie Robertson, “but at the same time, it snapped us back into reality. It made us realize we really have to focus if we want to bring home another championship.”

In what will be her final two career regular season games, senior captain Megan Hoag is just 22 kills away from becoming only the fifth Binghamton player ever to have both 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs.

This weekend will mark the final regular season games for four seniors, including the aforementioned Hoag and Robertson, as well as Ashley Meffert and Shadi Movahedian. It has been a whirlwind season for the whole team, and a great one to sum up four standout Binghamton careers.

“It’s been an awesome experience and one I’ll never forget,” Robertson said. “Who could ask for a better ending to an amazing season than with a championship?”

Each of the games is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start.

—BOX?—

With their 3-0 sweep of Stony Brook on Wednesday, Albany earned the right to host the America East championship tournament next weekend. The Bearcats have clinched the No. 2 seed in the tournament, their third appearance in the two-spot in as many years.