After busting their butts all season, it’s time for the Bearcats to go in for the kill. Tonight, the BU volleyball team will have one last shot at proving why they are fierce competitors who cannot be underestimated.

No. 2 Binghamton (18-11, 10-2 AE) will face No. 3 Maine (11-12, 8-4 AE) in the opening round of the America East Conference tournament tonight at 8 p.m. The teams have split both of their matches during the regular season, each winning at home. Binghamton won a 3-2 set at home in front of 680 thunderous fans but lost 3-1 at Maine a few weeks later. It will be interesting to see how the teams do at the neutral University Gymnasium in Albany.

“I think we have the potential to do really well and I’d be very disappointed if we lost to Maine,” said junior setter Ashley Meffert. “It’s always disappointing not to perform when it really counts.”

The Bearcats have had trouble stopping the Black Bears’ offensive attack as Kaili Jordan posted a match-high 20 kills the last time the two teams met. Also, setter Shelly Seipp is second in the conference in service aces. But if the Bearcats can maintain strong blocking and serve receiving, they have a legitimate chance of advancing to the championship game.

The Bearcats are led by sophomore middle blocker Jacki Kane, who leads the conference in blocking, and by junior outside hitter Katie Brody who leads the team in kills.

“We’re confident but we’re not cocky,” Kane said. “We’re not going to say we’ll blow any of these teams away because they are good, but we’re not going to roll over either.”

Both teams have playoff experience. Last year the Bearcats dropped a 3-0 decision to Albany in the semifinals, before the Great Danes defeated the Black Bears 3-2 in the championship game.

The winner of tonight’s semifinal match will go on to play the winner of the Stony Brook and Albany game tomorrow at 5 p.m.

Even though the Bearcats lost three straight games in the opening round last year, they have much more confidence entering the playoff this season.

“We have proved everyone wrong this season,” Meffert said. “After beating Maine and Albany we realized we could play and the confidence is there. The playoffs are going to be a battle but in the end it’ll come down to who makes more errors and who has more heart.”