NEW ULM, Minn. – The Yellowjacket volleyball team closed out its regular season Saturday, but the contest with Martin Luther was anything but a run-of-the-mill match.

For the Yellowjackets, who had already secured a spot in the conference championship bracket that will consist of the top four teams, a win would solidify them as the No. 3 seed in the upcoming UMAC Tournament. A loss would potentially drop them to the No. 4 seed, meaning they would be on the road for the rest of their campaign.
 
There's still potential the Yellowjackets will be away from home for their remaining games, but if that's the case, it means they are playing for a conference title in a week.

The Yellowjackets needed four sets, but they closed out the regular season in fine style with a 3-1 win over the Knights Saturday afternoon at MLC Gym. The Yellowjackets (8-2, 6-2 UMAC) will enter the post-season as the No. 3 seed and will open the tournament at St. Scholastica Thursday.
 
The Yellowjackets employed a ferocious attack Saturday, attacking at a clip of .252 as a team, with four individuals attacking at .300 or better, led by Kaylin Plautz (Elk River, Minn./Elk River) who finished the match with 16 kills and a .333 attack percentage.
 
It was all Yellowjackets in the opening set, as they won nine of the first 10 points to build a huge lead. The frame was never close, as the Yellowjackets cruised to a 1-0 lead with a 25-8 win.
 
The second set was a little more even, and Martin Luther looked like it was coming out to even things up, jumping to an 8-3 lead. The Yellowjackets began to chip away at the Knights' lead, eventually drawing even at 12-12. The Yellowjackets would go on a 9-1 run to move in front and closed out the set at 25-19 to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the match.
 
Martin Luther didn't go away, however, and again moved ahead in the third set. The Yellowjackets battled back, taking a 17-15 lead, but this time the Knights didn't let them pull away. The teams went back-and-forth and eventually needed overtime to decide the set. A Kielan LaPlante (Chatfield, Minn./Chatfield) kill gave the Yellowjackets a 29-28 lead and match point, but Martin Luther took the next three points to take the set 31-29 and cut the Yellowjacket lead in half.
 
In the fourth set the Yellowjackets jumped in front early, but again Martin Luther kept it close. The 'Jackets finally got the separation they needed with a 5-0 run to extend their lead to 16-9. The teams traded points the rest of the way and the Yellowjackets closed out the set 25-16 and the match 3-1.
 
Alexie Pryd (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove Senior) continued her strong season for the Yellowjackets, finishing the day with 13 kills and a team-high 17 digs. Maddy Cabe (Ashland, Wis./Ashland) also hit double digits, finishing the day with 15 kills.
 
Megan Holz (Savage, Minn./Burnsville) had another big day setting, finishing with a season-high 48 assists. She also added five service aces and five digs. On defense, Hailey Atwood (Big Lake, Minn./Big Lake) had 15 digs in the match.
 
The Yellowjackets will travel to St. Scholastica in the first round of the UMAC Tournament Thursday, April 8. The first serve is set for 7:00 p.m.