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B.E. Area outlasts Fairmont in 5-game volleyball clash

GETTING VERTICAL — Fairmont hitter Brittney Mosloski (10) cranks a spike as Blue Earth Area defender Alicia Machacek (7) blocks the volleyball during Big South Conference action Tuesday night at Cardinal Gym in Fairmont. Bucs’ hitter Brita Hougen (2) defends near the net as Blue Earth Area’s Emma Langager (12) and Fairmont’s Madysen Allen (21) await the results of the play above the net. (Photo by Greg Abel)

FAIRMONT — Point-saving diving digs by Liz Beeler, Taylor Klabunde and Miya Gustafson combined with two timely kills from Brita Hougen and Eloise Blair’s key service stint in Game 5 proved the difference Tuesday night.

Hougen converted the last of Beeler’s match-best 35 set assists for an untouched ace drive to the baseline to clinch the Blue Earth Area Bucs’ 25-21, 25-21, 20-25, 19-25, 15-11 Big South Conference victory over the Fairmont Cardinals at Cardinal Gym.

“After winning the first two sets and then having Fairmont take the next two, we (coaching staff) just had to keep our girls positive, focused and aggressive on the floor for the fifth set,” said Blue Earth Area head coach Donna Nawrocki. “Tonight proved that it takes everyone to win, and every play and every point counts.”

Middle hitter Brittney Mosloski, who topped Fairmont’s frontline force with 14 kills and six blocks, rejected a Blue Earth Area spike for a pivotal sideout in Game 5 at 3-2.

Ironically, Mosloski rotated to the service line and reeled off five consecutive points to put the Cardinals in the driver’s seat at 7-3. Cassidy Schultz converted Maddy Schwieger’s saving dig-turned-set assist into a key kill during the run, while Natalie Tonne drilled a Bucs’ overpass to the hardwood court for added offensive emphasis.

A Fairmont hitting error, however, slowly shifted the momentum back to Blue Earth Area as freshman Hailey Becker inched the Bucs within 7-6 with back-to-back point-winning serves.

The Bucs and Cardinals traded errant serves before Blair assembled a three-point service stint to give Blue Earth Area a Game 5 lead of 10-8 — the visitors’ first since 2-0.

Gustafson’s ace dig — one of her match-best 20 — triggered the Bucs’ key short scoring surge before Beeler’s floor-burning save led to Hougen’s cut cross-court kill for a two-point edge.

Tonne pounded one of setter Sabrina Segar’s team-best 26 assists for a sideout cross-court spike-winner for Fairmont, but two more Cardinal service errors during the next two rotations proved costly for the home team.

Ahead 13-11, Beeler delivered the match-clinching two points, and lofted the final assist to Hougen for the 15-11 Game 5 victory.

“I thought our girls made a nice comeback in Games 3 and 4 after losing a pair of close ones in Games 1 and 2,” said Fairmont head coach Kim Breamer. “We just kept fighting back and were able to force a fifth game. We just didn’t quite have enough ‘oomph’ down the stretch.”

Segar’s five-point service stint and Mosloski’s three kills and two blocks kept Fairmont within striking distance in the opener at 21-all.

Blair’s four kills, Hougen’s timely hitting and Beeler’s three-point service stint, however, sealed the Bucs’ Game 1 win.

Trailing 17-13 in Game 2, Emma Langager’s six-point service stint turned the momentum in the Bucs’ direction before Mosloski’s kill off a Segar assist knotted the score at 21-all.

A Cardinal net serve gave the Bucs possession, and Gustafson served out the final four points to stake the visitors to a 2-0 match lead. Alicia Machacek recorded one of her team-best four blocks and Hougen belted another cross-court winner to ignite the scoring run for the Bucs.

Madysen Allen’s early four-point service run, combined with three kills each from Schultz and Mosloski paced the Cardinals’ 25-20 Game 3 victory. Segar served out the final three points, with Mosloski notching a key block.

Tonne unleashed six of her 10 kills on the match during Game 4 to help engineer Fairmont’s 25-19 triumph to even the match at two games apiece.

Schultz finished with 13 kills for the Cardinals, while Blair netted 14 kills and 14 digs for the Bucs. Machacek cranked 10 kills for the Bucs, Hougen recorded nine kills and eight digs, Klabunde chipped in 14 digs, while Maci Frommie added six kills.

Fairmont (0-2) travels to St. Peter on Thursday night, while Blue Earth Area (1-1) hits the road to Waseca.

Blue Earth Area edged Fairmont in B-squad action, 13-25, 25-18, 15-13, Tuesday night.

Kynlie Anderson went 14-for-14 serving and made eight digs for the Cardinals, Chantel Moeller supplied five kills and eight digs, while Jazlyn Geerdes generated nine points behind 13-for-13 serving.

Fairmont squeezed by Blue Earth Area in C-squad action, 25-21, 20-25, 15-8, Tuesday night.

Nevaeh Rahm produced three kills, 12 digs and one service ace to top the Cardinals, Grace Pendergast doled out five set assists and Rylyn Larsen added one ace serve.

Alden-Conger 3, Martin County West 0 — The Knights swept the Mavericks during Valley Conference action Tuesday night in Alden.

No individual games scores were reported.

Taylor Elliott topped MCW by recording five kills to complement nine set assists, while Emily Anderson contributed four kills and seven set assists.

Gabby Lange generated four kills, Emily Dunlop tallied three and Lucy Larson added two spike-winners for the Mavericks.

Grace Bicknase and Katie Hummel delivered five digs apiece for MCW (0-3), which plays host to Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton on Thursday night in Trimont.

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