IOWA FALLS, IOWA -- The Ellsworth CC volleyball team won its 6th consecutive match and its 16th of the season Wednesday night, a 3-0 sweep of NIACC at Dittmer Gym. The 16 wins are the most for an ECC volleyball team since 2014.
The Panthers started fast, taking the opening set, 25-8, then completed the homecourt victory with scores of 25-16 and 25-20.
Sofia Betteni led the ECC attack with 11 kills, one more than teammate Ana Clara Cuartero. Dallymar Panell, one of the squad's two sophomores, had a strong night, leading Ellsworth in assists with 27 and tying for the team lead with 12 digs. Cuartero also recorded 12 digs and Panell served 4 of the team's 11 aces.
Ellsworth coach Sara Jesse said she's not too surprised the Panthers have gotten off to a strong start in the first month of the season. "I knew from day one of preseason this team had a lot of talent and had a lot of potential individually and as a unit," Jesse said. "What is surprising is seeing how resilient they are in putting new lineups out there and overcoming adversity. We have had some key injuries in the beginning of the season that occurred in matches, so the team's ability to adapt mid-set and as the season has gone on is very impressive."
"The girls have created a lot of our success this year in a variety of different ways," Jesse continued. "They are all so competitive and push themselves individually and they all have a desire to grow as a team and unit. Team chemistry can go a long way, and it isn't something that just happens overnight. It involves a lot of conversations and communication. It is something we have been improving at every day and we are in a good spot midway through the season. We also have a lot of versatility and it's a testament to the girls' flexibility with lineups and high volleyball IQs that allows us to do this."
The ECC coach says the Panthers are continuing to grow as a team and increasing their communication, which is where a lot of their issues have come early on. "We always need to improve the out-of-system balls and still get something semi-aggressive out of them. Blocking and our defense always has to adapt to different teams and hitters, but staying consistent and scrappy on our side while remaining in control in those out-of-system balls is huge. Passing is so vital to volleyball. It is the first contact, and it can make or break each point. Staying steady with our pass and creating aggressive hitting options is what gives us opportunities to be successful, and it will always be something we work at every single day to improve."
The Panthers, now 16-2, are idle until next Tuesday when they host Southeastern CC.
