One of the most common concepts in sports is momentum. Gaining or losing force from the development of certain events in a game or season is sometimes just as important as the talent and experience of the players on the court.It can sometimes be the difference between winning and losing when two equals meet.The Kentucky volleyball team had been building positive momentum for some time. Poised to capture the program’s first Southeastern Conference championship since 1988, the Cats steamrolled through conference play to a 17-1 record with two matches to play. With a one-game lead and two victories over LSU, a conference crown seemed like a formality, only to have the Cats’ title dreams come crashing down for the second season in a row. A two-game losing skid to Florida and Tennessee dashed those hopes, and now UK must find a way to right the ship in time for the NCAA Tournament on Friday.For the fifth straight season and the second straight year as a host site, the UK volleyball team has been selected to the NCAA Tournament. The Cats will face Michigan State on Friday at 7 p.m. at Memorial Coliseum, and should they win, they would return to the court Saturday at 7 p.m. to face either Clemson or No. 14 overall seed Oregon.How the Cats fare in this year’s tournament will hinge largely on how they respond from the late-season collapse. UK suffered a similar fate last year, dropping a home match to Tennessee on the final day of the season with a chance to capture a share of the SEC title. The team was unable to bounce back in time for volleyball’s version of the “Big Dance,” losing a first-round match to Michigan.Head coach Craig Skinner is confident his team will be able to move on from the devastating losses last week, citing experience and leadership.”I think we’re old enough that our juniors and seniors aren’t going to dwell on what just happened,” Skinner said. “We played competitive and fell short and had it in our hands and let it go, but they’ve won enough matches. They know what it takes to win matches, so I think we’ll be ready to go.”The success those juniors and seniors have experienced has been unmatched by any other group of classes in the school record books. UK has mustered 111 wins during Skinner’s five-year rein (with a chance to add on more) and the five straight NCAA Tournament selections is a program first.”We want to be at an elite level year in and year out,” Skinner said. “Making the tournament is part of that criteria. It’s exciting. I think our team expects to play in the NCAA Tournament every year, and we expect to as a staff.”However, there is no dispelling the air that’s been let out of Memorial Coliseum with the late-season losses. The buzz surrounding the program was at all-time high with the SEC title on the line. Now the team must find a way to regenerate that positive momentum in time for Friday’s match if it wishes to advance any farther.Skinner said he isn’t worried about his team’s psyche and its ability to bounce back.”I have a great deal of confidence in this group to respond,” Skinner said. “We’ve done it all year long and I don’t think it’s going to be an exception this weekend.”The former Nebraska assistant said he saw signs of UK’s resiliency during an encouraging practice session on Sunday. Skinner particularly liked the intensity level the Cats brought back after a much-needed few days of rest.And rebounding should be no problem given what’s at stake. The Cats have a chance to advance past the first round for the first time since 2006, plus they’ll have the benefit of home-court advantage. Another huge UK-partisan crowd is expected to be on hand this weekend at Memorial Coliseum.Not only will UK have the crowd it its favor, the players will also have the advantage of playing and practicing in a familiar setting.”It’s just a great thing to be able to do,” Skinner said. “The travel fatigue obviously won’t be a factor with us, whereas Michigan State, Clemson and Oregon all have to travel here and have to miss several days of school and travel long distances. It’s definitely an advantage.”UK will need some type of a decisive edge because of its four-team region. Even though Kentucky is the host team, it is not the top-seeded squad.Oregon, which toppled No. 7 UCLA and No. 4 Washington in two of its last three matches, comes into postseason play on fire. The Ducks are the No. 14 overall seed in the 64-team tournament. Meanwhile, Kentucky will try to defeat a Michigan State team Friday that swept the Cats two years ago in the first round. Clemson rounds out the region after a 23-win regular season.”It’s a great four-team bracket,” Skinner said. “It’ll be a very high level of play. I think our fans are going to get to enjoy great matches with all three of them. Every team has played some of the best teams in the country, so I think we’re all prepared to play at a high level. Now it’s just get out there and make those big plays when it matters so we come out on top.”