CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The final weekend of the America East volleyball season begins on Friday with all eight teams on the court. Seeding and playoff spots are still up for grabs. Here is a look at the scenarios and what we know about each team.
Entering the weekend, New Hampshire is the only team that has clinched a spot in the America East Championship. The Wildcats need a win in one of their last two matches to clinch the No. 1 seed and outright regular-season title.
Providence and Hartford have been mathematically eliminated from the tournament, along with UMass Lowell which is not eligible due to the transition to Division I.
Albany can be anywhere from the No. 1 seed and tournament host to missing the championship completely. The Great Danes need wins in each of their final two matches with losses by New Hampshire (the two meet on Friday) to host the championship. The Great Danes could be eliminated with two losses and two wins by Binghamton by virtue of losing the head-to-head tiebreak.
Stony Brook can be anywhere from the No. 2 through No. 4 seeds. If the Seawolves lose both matches, they still hold the tiebreak over Binghamton for the No. 4 seed. The Seawolves also would be the No. 4 seed in a three-way tie with Albany and Binghamton or the No. 3 seed in three-way tie with UMBC and Binghamton. Stony Brook also gets the No. 4 seed in a four-way tie with Albany, UMBC and Binghamton.
UMBC can end up anywhere from the No. 2 through No. 4 seeds. The Retrievers hold the head-to-head tiebreak against Binghamton by virtue of a 5-4 advantage in sets played this season as the teams split the season series. The Retrievers would be the No. 2 seed in a four-way tie with Albany, Binghamton and Stony Brook. They come in as the No. 2 seed in three-way tie with Albany and Binghamton, and the No. 4 seed in a three-way tie with Stony Brook and Binghamton.
Binghamton can only hope to make the tournament with two wins and two losses by Albany. The Bearcats could end up as the No. 4 seed in that situation.
Here are the links for the weekend:
Friday, Nov. 15
Albany at New Hampshire - 7 pm – Watch Live | Live Stats
Binghamton at UMass Lowell – 7 pm – Watch Live
Stony Brook at Hartford - 7 pm - Live Stats
UMBC at Providence - 7 pm - Live Stats
Saturday, Nov. 16
Albany at UMass Lowell – 7 pm – Watch Live
Sunday, Nov. 17
UMBC at Hartford – 1 pm - Watch Live | Live Stats
Binghamton at New Hampshire – 1 pm – Watch Live | Live Stats
Stony Brook at Providence - 1 pm - Live Stats