NEW ULM — New Ulm dominated Redwood Valley in the fourth set as the Eagles downed the Cardinals 23-25, 26-24, 26-24, 25-17 on Tuesday in Big South Conference volleyball action.

Redwood Valley made a fair share of mistakes throughout the entire match. The list included service errors, unforced errors and making mistakes at key places throughout the match.

The Eagles lost the first set, which head coach Sarah Swanson-Cullen said wasn’t a bad thing.

“It gave us motivation to get the next one,” she said. “The girls knew that we needed to win this match for motivation for the playoffs.”

Redwood Valley led for most of the first set. New Ulm battled back and tied it at 23-23 on Madalyn O’Connor’s kill. Redwood’s Ella Bell tipped the ball over the net to regain the Cardinals’ lead. O’Connor knocked the ball into the net on the next volley to win the set.

The Eagles led for most of the second set. Redwood Valley briefly held the advantage twice. Jahlyn Bill’s dig got the ball to Kendall Huhnerkoch, whose kill tied it at 22-22. New Ulm regained the lead on O’Connor’s kill. On the next volley, O’Connor had an unforced error to tie it again.

The set was tied one more time. The Eagles earned a point on a service error by Redwood Valley’s Courtney Garman. Laura Bertrang’s soft tip over the net dropped between two Cardinal defenders to win the set.

The Cardinals managed to build a lead for most of the third set. Elizabeth Mertens committed an unforced error to give the Eagles a point which tied it at 11-11. Anna Lee’s tip was followed by a double block by the Eagles’ front line, giving the Eagles a 13-11 lead.

Mertens and Huhnerkoch’s double block tied it again at 15-15. The Cardinals tied again at 24-24 on Katherine Ahrens’ kill. Redwood Valley had two more unforced errors for the Eagles’ final two winning points.

The Eagles came out strong when they opened up a lead during the fourth set. There was only one tie and Redwood Valley’s lone advantage was 1-0.

Redwood Valley called a timeout. Swanson-Cullen had a short statement for the team at that point: “Keep doing what you are doing.”

She said the fourth set was the Eagles’ strongest — and best — one of the contest.

The challenge for the Eagles was the fact that the Cardinals refused to go away. They kept fighting and trying to get back into the set, hoping to force a fifth set. Redwood Valley cut deficit to 5 points on a front-line double block by Ahrens and Huhnerkoch which made it 19-14 for the Eagles.

Redwood Valley made one final run at the Eagles, with a kill by Ahrens. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, an unforced error and a service error were the final straws which ended their hopes of a comeback.

Natalie Yackley had 42 set assists and 12 digs to lead New Ulm. O’Connor added 18 kills with 10 digs, Afton Hulke had six kills and 11 digs, Bertrang had eight blocks and six kills. Ella Freiderich had 14 digs and Graceyn Nesje contributed 13 digs.

New Ulm (13-9, 9-2) will host Worthington on Thursday in the regular-season finale for the Eagles.