APPROACHING THE NET ­— Fairmont second singles player Abi Peyman moves forward to connect on a forehand return during a Big South Conference tennis dual meet against the St. Peter Saints on Thursday at the Cardinal Courts in Fairmont. St. Peter went on to post a 7-0 victory over Fairmont in the team competition. (Photo by Greg Abel)

FAIRMONT — St. Peter demonstrated how it had compiled an impressive 15-1 dual-meet record prior to Thursday’s Big South Conference girls tennis clash with Fairmont at the Cardinal Courts.

Annika Southworth, Rhyan Holmgren and Maddie Kamm — the Saints’ high-scoring backcourt trio in basketball during the winter season — generated a different version of three points by sweeping the Nos. 1, 2 and 3 positions in the singles bracket.

Annika Southworth outslugged Hope Klanderud in back-to-back 6-1 sets at first singles, while Holmgren — who’s a basketball commit to Minnesota State University in Mankato — outdueled Abi Peyman at the second spot in the bracket via back-to-back 6-3 set decisions.

Kamm outlasted Emelia Klanderud in a three-set marathon match at third singles by netting back-to-back 6-3 set wins.

In a good-to-the-last-shot clash, Kamm and Emelia Klanderud exchanged more than 80 shots during Games 2 and 3 of their second set before the St. Peter senior prevailed down the stretch.

The Cardinals’ Elly Stegge nearly prevented the Saints’ singles-division sweep by capturing a 6-3 victory over Brielle Romasiewicz during the opening set at the No. 4 position.

Romasiewicz, however, displayed her mettle by battling back to claim the second set, 6-1.

With the dual meet’s team outcome already determined, the two singles players squared off in a super-tiebreaker to serve as the decisive third set, with the Saints’ eighth-grade phenom netting a narrow 10-8 win.

Zetta Haugen and Kylie Southworth lost only a pair of games in posting a 6-0, 6-2 triumph over the Cardinals’ Brynn Gustafson and Madi Peyman during first doubles action.

Kali Erickson and Nora Whipps combined skills at second doubles to generate a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Fairmont’s Jaydan Moses and Carly Gustafson.

Natalie Salfer and Ella Dirks teamed at the third spot in the doubles bracket to produce a 6-3, 6-1 win over Ellie Plumhoff and Claire Brockmann.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to play a Class AA team like St. Peter today. It’s always good competition and it should help us in the long run,” said Fairmont head coach Laura Olsen.

Fairmont (8-4) plays host to rival Blue Earth Area at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday back at the Cardinal Courts in another Big South dual meet.

St. Peter (16-1) competes in the Litchfield Invitational, with action starting at 8 a.m. Saturday.