RISING SPIKE — Waseca hitter Avery Madsen (5) cranks a rising spike over a double-block set by Fairmont’s Emily Frank (left) and Brittney Mosloski during Big South Conference volleyball action Tuesday night at Cardinal Gym in Fairmont. (Photo by Greg Abel)

FAIRMONT — Each time Fairmont’s volleyball team started to gain momentum Tuesday night, Waseca setter Sophie Potter literally elevated her game near the net.

The 5-foot-8 Potter delivered three pivotal tips — one in each game — to complement distributing a match-best 22 set assists, while middle hitter Avery Madsen smacked a match-high nine kills and five blocks to power the visiting Bluejays to a 25-20, 25-22, 25-16 Big South Conference sweep over the hometown Cardinals in Fairmont.

“This is her third year on the varsity, and she knows how to run our offense,” Waseca head coach Jolene Hauger said in reference to Potter. “We knew we could play at a higher level than we did in our season-opener, and we accomplished that tonight with better communication on the floor.”

Brooke Tramp’s four-point service run created an early 9-3 Game 1 lead for the Bluejays before Kynlie Anderson answered with a three-point stint at the line to help the Cardinals to close to within 14-10.

Vanessa Bliesmer hammered a cross-court kill off one of Anderson’s 11 set assists to trigger Fairmont’s mini-run before Brittney Mosloski notched a block and a spike-winner. Waseca outside hitter Samara Johnson, however, utilized every inch of her 5-5 frame and vertical leap to convert a Potter set into a sideout kill.

Cassidy Schultz delivered one of her four resounding rejections to later pare the Cardinals’ gap to 20-16, but Potter followed with a timely tip to halt the Bluejays’ skid at 21-17.

A Fairmont backrow hitting error later proved costly as Haylee Sommers rotated to the backline and received back-to-back thundering blocks from Madsen to cap Waseca’s 25-20 victory.

Neither Big South team led by more than three points in Game 2 as the Cardinals and Bluejays eventually seesawed back-and-forth to 13-all. Bliesmer jackhammered a give-and-go set from Anderson for a one-point Fairmont edge before Potter alertly took a service receive pass and dumped it to the floor to knot the middle game at 14-all.

Tramp and Fairmont’s Chantel Moeller later exchanged service winners to 19-all before Sommers’ kill combined with Potter’s service ace and another Madsen kill triggered a 25-22 Bluejays’ win in Game 2.

Ironically, another Potter-to-Sommers connection midway through Game 3 rotated Potter to the service area and Waseca’s senior playmaker snapped the deadlock with a six-point surge. Madsen triggered the run with a block before Potter extended the string of points with a cross-court ace drive off a set from Sommers.

Bliesmer converted one of Grace Pendergast’s 11 set assists for a Fairmont sideout, trailing 15-12, before a Cardinal service error allowed libero Jadyn Olsem to enter the game and reel off six more points en route to a 23-13 lead and eventual 25-16 Game 3 win.

Schultz collected five kills and four blocks to top the Cardinals, while Mosloski, Bliesmer and Emily Frank each contributed four kills and two rejections.

Johnson contributed seven kills for the Bluejays, while Kloe Wadd supplied five kills and four blocks.

Fairmont (0-2) plays host to Martin County West on Thursday night, while Waseca (1-1) travels to New Ulm on Thursday night.

Fairmont swept Waseca in B-squad action, 25-20, 25-11, 15-8, Tuesday night.

Nevaeh Rahm contributed to the Cardinals’ winning effort from the service line, a blocking perspective and her spiking position, while Gabriella Leiding and Brylee Miller generated key points from the serving area.

Madison Landin served four aces to help pace Fairmont’s 25-8, 25-22, 16-14 sweep over Waseca during C-squad play Tuesday.

Haleigh Grotzinger doled out six good passes, Ellie Ortega and Faith Kotewa made three kills each, while Alayna Haefner dished out four set assists.

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St. Peter 3, Blue Earth Area 0 — The Saints swept the Bucs during Big South Conference volleyball action Tuesday night in St. Peter, 25-11, 25-16, 25-14.

Eloise Blair topped the Bucs by producing 10 kills and 12 digs, while serving 5-for-6. Taylor Klabunde added 10 digs for the BEA defense, while Kate Armon supplied eight.

Haley Kalis dished out a team-high nine assists and served 8-for-9 with one ace, while Liz Beeler dished out eight set assists.

Alicia Machacek served 12 of 13 with three aces, while Hailey Becker smacked five kills for Blue Earth Area (0-2), which plays host to New Ulm next Tuesday night.