NORTHROP — A play-in upset to start the Section 2A, South Sub-Section tournament.

After finishing the regular season with a 4-23 record, including being swept in their final three matchups, Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial earned the 11th seed and a spot in a play-in game.

The Knights pulled off a 3-1 upset over the No. 6-seeded Martin Luther/ Granada-Huntley-East Chain/Truman Jaguars in Northrop on Monday. The Knights move on to face No. 3-seeded Alden-Conger in Alden at 7 p.m. Thursday. The Jaguars ended the season with a record of 9-18.

“Coming off that MEA break, we couldn’t develop a good rhythm and it showed in the first couple of games,” said Jaguar head coach Paul Steinhaus. “We didn’t have a lot of fire under us for whatever reason. It’s hard to put your finger on it. That generated enough momentum and confidence in the other team, even though we won the third game, to just keep the pressure on us. We just weren’t up to the challenge to meet that pressure.”

The Knights took a hard-fought first game 25-22, then eased to a 25-13 Game 2 win. The Jaguars looked to start a comeback with a 25-20 Game 3 win, but the Knights pulled off a 25-23 win in the fourth game.

The Jaguars held the momentum after taking Game 3, but the teams stayed close in Game 4, tying at 7, 8, 9, 10, 12 and 15. Then the Knights built a lead.

Lakesha Carter assisted Sammie Garbers to get the serve, then after Reese Goeringer used one of her 19 assists to help Serena Van Note, Carter hit three consecutive aces to build a 20-15 lead.

Lydia Steinhaus tried to start a Jaguar run with an ace and then assisted Emily Stauter before Kambria Steinhaus served the Jaguars to three consecutive points to tie the game at 21.

The Knights’ Dani Freyberg assisted Allie Wiens on back-to-back points, then a Jaguar double hit put the Knights one point from clinching.

The Jaguars got within 24-23, but a Emily Johnson kill off a Wiens assist ended the match.

Paul Steinhaus said the 2019 Jaguar season had many ups and downs.

“I think we left some games on the table this year,” Paul Steinhaus said. “We had a couple pieces to the puzzle that I thought played consistently well throughout the season, then we just kind of rode the roller coaster, some moments we looked really good, some moments not so much.”

The teams battled in the opening game, going on short runs to get to a 17-13 Jaguar lead. Goeringer served the Knights to a five-point run to go up 18-17.

Tied at 22, Goeringer assisted Van Note, Carter hit an ace and the Jaguars didn’t communicate on a ball that dropped between players to end Game 1.

The Knights cruised to a win in Game 2 after Lauren Kuebler served nine consecutive points. The Jaguars never got within nine points after the run.

The Jaguars wouldn’t leave without a fight in Game 3. Lydia Steinhaus dished out six of her team-leading 22 assists, while serving two of her four aces. Michaelah Petrowiak was on the receiving end of Lydia Steinhaus’ assists in Game 3 for three of her team-leading 10 kills.

The teams fought to a Game 3 tie at 16 before the Jaguars used a Lydia Steinhaus ace and kill off a Kambria Steinhaus assist to go ahead 18-16.

The Knights fought back to tie at 20, then Marah Engel served the Jaguars to five consecutive points to take the Game 3 win.

Lizzie Oothoudt totalled six kills for the Jaguars, while Kambria Steinhaus led the team with 21 digs.

Lydia Steinhaus added 13 digs, while Oothoudt had nine and Engel dug out six spikes. Both Petrowiak and Stauter collected three blocks. Lydia Steinhaus also served 13 of 14 with four aces, while Engel hit 12 of 13 successful serves with three aces. Abby Calkins hit 10 of 12 serves in play and collected three aces.