BLUE EARTH – The Blue Earth Area Bucs volleyball team may have swept the Fairmont Cardinals, but the match was much tighter than it appeared.

The Bucs jumped to a 25-19 first-game win before edging the Cardinals in the final two games, 27-25 and 25-22, during Big South Conference action Thursday.

“Tonight’s one of those games where they wanted it so bad, I can only tell them certain things to look for and try to calm them down because they get wound a little tight,” Bucs head coach Donna Nawrocki said about her team. “Once they get settled in, things happen a little better for them. Overall, a great team effort.”

The Cardinals struggled early on with returning senior outside hitter Kaylor Jacobs’ serves, allowing the Bucs a 5-0 lead to start the first game. Cardinals senior setter Madison Hennager completed a lob to Taylor Crissinger, who managed the sideout kill to end the Bucs’ run and get the Cardinals on the board.

Fairmont got within one later in the game at 19-18, until Nawrocki called for a timeout. The Bucs then outscored the Cardinals, 6-1, to take the first game, which ended with a Cardinals’ netted return.

“It’s never good to start off 5-0. Our serve-receive was not what it needed to be to start off,” Fairmont head coach Haley Loerts said about the first game. “They did fight back which I’m proud of them for always doing that; they never give up, but we struggled capitalizing on the other team’s mistakes.”

Junior middle hitter Mallory Mosloski put down the first kill for the Cardinals, who were able to get out to a 6-4 lead. The visiting team then went on a 4-0 run on the strength of junior defense specialist Mariah Gochanour’s 3-for-4 serving.

But the Bucs erased a six-point deficit with a 7-0 run, started by juniors Alissa and Lindsey Norman. Alissa Norman set the ball up for twin sister, Lindsey, who spiked the ball down for the sideout kill.

Lindsey Norman then got a block, and Alissa Norman connected with Samantha Barslou to inch the Bucs within three.

Alissa Norman, Barslou and Lindsey Norman added another kill apiece, on top of a Cardinal return that went out of bounds, as the Bucs took the 20-19 lead.

“That’s huge because in games like this last year, we wouldn’t have been able to do that,” Nawrocki said about the run. “These girls have worked hard in trying to overcome that and keep playing.”

Hennager found Courtney Williams, who finished with eight kills, to give the Cardinals the much-needed sideout kill to tie the score and stop the Bucs from getting out any further.

The two teams battled back-and-forth, tying the game five times before junior middle hitter Maddi Oelke got a kill and a final Cardinal error allowed the Bucs the 27-25 triumph.

Heading into the last game, the two teams kept the lead margin narrow with the Bucs staying in front. Blue Earth Area junior outside hitter Sofie Blair served the home team to three points before Crissinger got the sideout kill.

The Cardinals gained a 14-12 lead using an ace serve from Hennager, but Blair turned the tide back in the Bucs’ favor with a sideout kill.

Bucs sophomore outside hitter Sidney Blair’s sideout kill gave the Bucs a 23-22 lead. The Cardinals couldn’t return Kaylor Jacobs’ serve after that, and the Bucs won the final point after the Cardinals hit the ball out of bounds.

Alissa Norman finished with 20 set assists and five kills while completing seven of eight serves.

“Tonight, I thought she was going to exhaust herself there because she wasn’t going to ask for help,” Nawrocki said about Alissa Norman. “She distributes it pretty evenly and is able to read the defense a little bit and trust all of her hitters. She does a nice job of that, and the hitters trust her.”

Lindsey Norman tallied 10 kills, and Kaylor Jacobs went 13-for-15 for eight points.

Sofie Blair chipped in four kills for the Bucs while going a perfect 18-for-18 from the service line for 12 points.

Blue Earth Area (3-0) competes in the Luverne Invitational on Saturday, while Fairmont (0-2) plays in the Sleepy Eye Invitational on Saturday.

Blue Earth Area beat Fairmont, 25-22, 25-14, during junior varsity action Thursday. Jaiden Leiding had seven set assists and three digs while going 9-for-10 serving with two aces for Fairmont. Brenna Cutler finished with two kills and two blocks, while Claire Cutler had three kills and three blocks.

Emma Ward went 5-for-7 serving with an ace. Ana Krause and Alli Lardy each had two kills and an ace serve in the loss.

Blue Earth Area downed Fairmont 25-16, 25-20, during B-squad play Thursday. Olivia Anderson completed three ace serves, while Abby Tonder and Whitney Scott each ended with two kills.

Blue Earth Area’s C-squad team defeated Fairmont, 19-25, 27-25, 15-10, Thursday.

Andrea Westcott completed 3-of-3 serves along with two set assists. Jen Moeller had three aces serves, and Cambrie Anderson went 12-for-13 behind the serving line.

North Union 3, Belmond-Klemme 0 – The Warriors used set scores of 25-19, 25-10, 25-18, to sweep the Broncos on Thursday in Armstrong.

Olivia Marlow led the Warriors in kills with 10 while going 15-for-15 serving with two aces. Kate Anderson added seven kills, 12 set assists and four total blocks, and Alexis Valvick finished with a team-leading 15 assists to complement seven digs.

Breanna Anderson provided the Warriors with eight digs and went 19-for-19 serving with two service aces. Erin Goraczkowski chipped in five kills.

North Union (5-5) competes in the Spirit Lake Invite at 9 a.m. Saturday.