BLUE EARTH — Balance conquered the one-hitter wrecking crew.

Setter Alissa Norman distributed a match-best 28 assists to five different Blue Earth Area spikers to offset Maple River junior outside blaster Madi Schirmer’s match-leading 20 kills during Thursday night’s playoff opener.

Lindsey Norman and Sofie Blair combined for 22 kills and six blocks to power the No. 3-seeded Bucs to a 25-22, 25-12, 25-23 sweep over the No. 6-seeded visiting Eagles during Section 2AA, South Sub-Section quarterfinal volleyball action in Blue Earth.

Blue Earth Area (17-13) advances to face No. 2-seeded St. Peter (19-9) in a 7:30 p.m. South Sub-Section semifinal on Tuesday night at Mankato East High School.

The Saints gained the next round via a 3-1 triumph over Fairmont.

Maple River ended its season with a 13-13 overall record.

“Our girls were tight in practice the other day, and that’s how we came out playing tonight, especially in the first game,” said Blue Earth Area head coach Donna Nawrocki. “It looked like a typical playoff opener — everybody was a little anxious and tightened up a bit, but we managed to work our way through it.”

After trading point-for-point with Maple River during the initial six combined service spots, the trio of Samantha Naumann, Alyssa Ripley and Maddi Oelke served Blue Earth Area out to a 10-4 lead in Game 1.

Blair, who smacked 10 kills to complement three blocks, peppered an Alissa Norman set for a blistering cross-court kill before elevating above the net to deftly deposit an ace tip to the center of the Eagles’ defense during Ripley’s stint at the line to grab a 7-3 lead.

Oelke, who produced four kills and a team-best four blocks for the Bucs, later delivered a net-clipping service ace and added another point via Blair’s down-the-line laser off another Alissa Norman set assist to extend the gap to 10-4.

The high-jumping Schirmer later countered by cranking three slide kills off assists from setter Bridgette Kollos to keep Maple River within striking distance at 14-10.

Left-hander Sophia Reeves delivered her own down-the-line kill from the right outside hitting spot off a Gabrielle Drews’ set assist to rotate herself to the end line at 19-16.

Reeves reeled off three answered points to knot Game 1 at 19-all before Nawrocki called timeout to regroup the Bucs.

“I’m usually not quick to call a timeout and just let them work through the situation, but we needed one there,” said Nawrocki.

Blair heeded her coach’s advice out of the short break and jackhammered Maple River’s overpass to the hardwood court for a pivotal sideout kill.

Ironically, Blair stepped to the end line and reeled off four unanswered points to inch Blue Earth Area within one of a game win. Lindsey Norman delivered one of her team-leading 12 kills and one of her three blocks during Blair’s service stint, Alissa Norman flipped home one of her patented tips and Hannah Johnson drilled one of her five kills to push the score to 24-20.

Schirmer, however, countered with back-to-back spike-winners off Kollos’ sets, but an Eagles’ hitting error gave the opener to the Bucs at 25-22.

Johnson and Lindsey Norman traded frontline firepower with Schirmer to 5-all in Game 2 before Bucs libero Samantha Naumann shifted the momentum in the home team’s direction.

Naumann, who went 14-for-14 serving on the match, tallied five of her nine points as her Blue Earth Area teammates threw a mini-block party. Ripley supplied two rejections, while Oelke and Blair added solos to pace a 10-5 Bucs’ edge.

Johnson, Blair and the Norman twins exchanged kills with Schirmer and Drews to 23-12 before Naumann served out the final two tallies of Game 2.

Despite Reeves’ four-point service stint staking Maple River to a 10-5 lead in Game 3, Blue Earth Area later countered with Lindsey Norman’s four-point service span to knot the score at 13-all.

Schirmer exchanged sizzling spikes with Blair, Lindsey Norman and Johnson to 18-all before Halley Rennpferd served the Eagles out to a three-point lead.

Lindsey Norman slammed the brakes on the run with a slide kill off an Alissa Norman set before later rotating to the service area. Lindsey Norman delivered two service aces around an Oelke block to inch the Bucs ahead, 24-22.

Schirmer hammered her final kill of the match to squeeze within one point before Oelke pounded the game- and match-sealing kill off another Alissa Norman set assist.

St. Peter 3, Fairmont 1 — The No. 2-seeded Saints fended off the No. 7-seeded Cardinals, 25-8, 23-25, 25-13, 25-19, during the Section 2AA, South Sub-Section quarterfinals on Thursday night in St. Peter.

Fairmont finished the season 12-13 for its winningest record since 2012 when the Cardinals went 11-12.

St. Peter (19-9) moves on to play No. 3-seeded Blue Earth Area at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday night at Mankato East High School in Mankato in a South Sub-Section semifinal match.

Blue Earth Area advanced after sweeping No. 6-seeded Maple River, 3-0, on Thursday night.

Middle hitter Courtney Williams led Fairmont with 10 kills to go along with two blocks and went 6-for-6 serving, while outside spiker Bailee Swanson ended the match with 15 digs, seven kills and three ace serves.

Ericka Kim provided the Cardinals with eight digs from a defensive perspective, while teammate Taylor Crissinger doled out 11 assists with two kills and completed all six of her serves.

Andrea Westcott went 8-for-8 at the service line and had 10 assists for Fairmont. Alexa Mosloski ended the night with six digs and two kills, and Claire Cutler contributed four blocks.

Section 2A, South Sub-Section

Quarterfinals

Madelia 3, Martin County West 1 — The No. 5-seeded Blackhawks move on to the semifinals after taking a 25-22, 25-15, 17-25, 25-21 decision over the No. 4-seeded Mavericks in the quarterfinals on Thursday night in Trimont.

Martin County West ended the year with a record of 13-12.

Madelia (13-17) advances to face Waterville-Elysian-Morristown, the No. 1 seed, at 6 p.m. Tuesday night at St. Peter High School in St. Peter.

WEM swept the Martin Luther/Granada-Huntley-East Chain/Truman Jaguars, 3-0, during sub-section quarterfinal action on Thursday night.

Waterville-Elysian-Morristown 3, Martin Luther/Granada-Huntley-East Chain/ Truman 0 — The top-seeded Bucs swept the No. 8-seeded Jaguars, 25-7, 25-13, 15-19, during the sub-section quarterfinals on Thursday night in Waterville.

Martin Luther/Granada-Huntley-East Chain/Truman ended its season with an overall record of 8-21.

Waterville-Elysian-Morristown (22-8) faces Madelia in the South Sub-Section semifinals at 6 p.m. Tuesday night at St. Peter High School.

Emma Becker had a Jaguars-best four kills and three blocks. Lydia Studer and Lydia Steinhaus both notched three kills, with Lydia Steinhaus adding 11 set assists.

Marissa Steinhaus provided the Jaguars with 12 digs, two kills and two aces.