The ISU volleyball will play its most important match of the season one night before the most important night of the season for most college volleyball teams.

With the brackets for the NCAA tournament being announced on Sunday, the Cyclones (16-13, 10-9 Big 12) will look to solidify their tournament resume with a victory Saturday over the 21st-ranked Oklahoma Sooners (21-8, 13-6).

A win would also help Iowa State hold onto its one game lead for fifth place in the Big 12 over Missouri, who plays 1-18 Colorado Saturday.

Coach Christy Johnson said she hopes the performance the Cyclones showcased in a five-game loss to the third-ranked Texas Longhorns will help them get in the tournament but a win Saturday would be even better.

“If we win, we secure with fifth, so it’s absolutely going to help, but I just want to us to play like we did (Wednesday) in those last three games with that much fight and that much spirit,” Johnson said. “If you go five with the third-best team in the country, I would surely hope the committee looks at that especially so late in the season.”

Four seniors will also more than likely play their last match in front of the Hilton Coliseum crowd when they take the floor against the Sooners. Lauren Cummings, Erin Boeve, Laura Cady, and Meghan Ferrie will close out their home careers, but will try to extend their season as well.

Boeve said a win on Senior Night would help the relieve some of the tension on Sunday, when the team will find out its NCAA tournament fate.

“It would make it a little more relaxing sitting there watching the brackets,” Boeve said.

The Cyclones will attempt to get themselves off of “the bubble” for the tournament against a very scrappy Sooner squad that is not outstanding as far as rankings in any one area but solid in several places. Oklahoma has something to play for in the Big 12 as well, because they could tie Kansas State for third with a win and a Wildcat loss at Texas.

Iowa State led 2-1 in Norman in early October, but the Sooners fought back and scratched out a five-game win. Oklahoma helped the Cyclones stay in fifth Wednesday, when they swept Missouri, while the Cyclones were going toe to toe with Texas.

Johnson said Iowa State will just try to continue execute what it is working on in practice and end the regular season on a high note.

“Every team in the country would like to have one or two more wins, but I feel like we’re right where we want to be,” Johnson said.