ARCHING DIG — Fairmont hitter Vanessa Bliesmer (right) makes a high-arching dig over a block set by St. Peter’s Lilly Ruffin (front left) during Big South Conference volleyball action Tuesday night at Cardinal Gym in Fairmont. The Cardinals’ Brittney Mosloski (7) and Cassidy Schultz (9) watch the play. (Photo by Greg Abel)

FAIRMONT — Grace Remmert literally set the tone for St. Peter’s momentum-seizing comebacks in Games 1 and 3 to help pace the Saints’ Big South volleyball sweep over Fairmont on Tuesday night at Cardinal Gym.

Remmert doled out three of her match-best 18 set assists to trigger teammate Mackenzie Pettis’ game-clinching six-point run in the opener, smacked the Game 2-winning spike herself, and then distributed the next-to-last assist to hitter Kylee Horner to cap a hard-fought 25-20, 25-22, 25-19 shutout over the Cardinals.

“All in all, the girls played very hard tonight,” said Fairmont head coach Kim Breamer. “We played point-for-point for the majority of the match with St. Peter tonight, but we just couldn’t come up with that key point at that critical moment.”

Brittney Mosloski, who topped the Cardinals with nine kills, created breathing room with a four-point service run in the opener at 16-10. After Mosloski tapped down one of Kynlie Anderson’s eight set assists for a sideout at 12-10, Mosloski stepped to the end line to chalk up four points.

Mallory Hartfiel, who dished out 11 set assists in the Saints’ 6-2 offensive attack, reeled off three service points to prevent the Cardinals from running away with the Game 1 win.

An unforced Fairmont hitting error at 20-18 proved costly as Pettis rotated to the end line and assembled 6-0 scoring surge to swing a 25-20 win to St. Peter. Left-hander Lilly Ruffin’s precision tip off a Remmert assist helped spark the Saints’ string of points before Horner jackhammered back-to-back blasts to ice the five-point decision.

The two conference teams slugged it out closely in Game 2 before Grace Pendergast whittled Fairmont’s deficit to 22-20 with a key three-point service run. Cassidy Schultz and Jazlyn Geerdes delivered a double block to help fuel the mini-run.

Despite an Emily Frank block that inched Fairmont within 23-22 in the middle segment, Brooke Rehnelt and Remmert pounded down back-to-back spike-winners to squeeze by the Cardinals, 25-22.

Mosloski cashed in one of Pendergast’s nine set assists to later knot Game 3 at 8-all before Anderson rotated into the back row. Anderson reeled off four unanswered points, with Vanessa Bliesmer drilling one of her five kills to trigger a 12-8 Fairmont margin.

It did not last long as Horner cranked one of her match-leading dozen kills for a pivotal sideout, with the Saints trailing 13-10. Danielle Johnson and Hartfiel served up three and five points, respectively, during the next two rotations to swing a 19-15 edge to the visitors.

Horner, however, lined a sizzling spike-winner for an untouched ace off a Remmert assist to inch St. Peter within one point of a sweep at 24-19. A Fairmont hitting error generated the three-game clash’s final point.

Remmert finished with 18 set assists and nine kills for the Saints, Ruffin contributed six kills, while Pettis connected on 16 of 17 serves for 11 points.

Fairmont (1-3) travels to New Ulm on Thursday night for another conference match, while St. Peter (4-1) plays host to St. James Area on Thursday night.

St. Peter defeated Fairmont in B-squad action, 25-14, 25-9, 15-10, Tuesday night in Fairmont.

Mariah Moeller went 4-for-4 serving for the hometown Cardinals, Brylee Miller served a pair of aces, while Bre Steuber recorded three blocks.

St. Peter squeezed by Fairmont during the C-squad match, 25-17, 17-25, 15-7, Tuesday night.

Ellie Ortega served three aces for the Cardinals, Abi Sundeen doled out three set assists, while Cadence Leiding and Ilana Moeller each generated two kills.

Saige Leiding dished out five passes for Fairmont, while Meredith Nemmers supplied two blocks.

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New Ulm 3, Blue Earth Area 0 — The Eagles clawed out a 25-19, 25-21, 25-22 Big South Conference victory over the Bucs on Tuesday night in Blue Earth.

Eloise Blair hammered out 10 kills and made 18 digs to pace Blue Earth Area’s effort, while teammate Hailey Becker generated seven kills and four ace blocks to complement seven points, including one ace, behind 10-for-12 serving.

Taylor Klabunde collected three kills and scooped up 10 digs to go with six aces on the strength of a 13-for-13 serving performance, including one ace, while Kate Armon made 10 digs and went 8-for-11 serving en route to two aces and seven points for BEA.

Haley Kalis distributed 11 set assists and went 9-for-9 serving with an ace for the Bucs, while Liz Beeler doled out nine set assists.

Blue Earth Area (0-3, 0-2 BSC) travels to Waseca on Thursday night.

The Martin Luther/ GHEC/Truman Jaguars’ nonconference match against the New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva Panthers on Tuesday night in New Richland was postponed due to a scheduling/officiating miscommunication.

The match will be rescheduled at a later date