BOONE, IOWA -- A record-setting season for the Ellsworth CC volleyball team came to an end on Saturday when the Panthers lost 3-1 to DMACC in the Region 11 semifinals.  The Panthers were able to knot the match at 1-all after claiming a 25-15 decision in the 2nd set.  But the Bears, who had taken set 1 25-20, won the match by winning sets 3 and 4, 25-18 and 25-12.  ECC ended the year with a 28-6 record, eclipsing the previous school record of 26 wins.  For a program that had a combined 29 wins over the past 4 seasons, the Panthers fashioned their first winning record in 12 years.

ECC's leader in kills in the DMACC match was Sofia Betteni with 13, one more than Ana Clara Cuartero.  Dallymar Panell contributed 22 assists and Elitsa Peneva had 18.  Four Panthers reached double figures in digs, led by Betteni with 16 and Ludine Charron with 15.  Panell and Cuartero had 14 digs each.  Betteni served 3 aces.

Of Ellsworth's 28 wins, 20 came in straight sets.  Five were 3-1 victories and they won 3 matches that went the whole 5 sets.  The set record in the 28 wins was 84-11 and the season record in sets was 88-29.

Head coach Sara Jesse has overseen the turnaround in the ECC volleyball program and she attributes this year's squad's competitive edge to a great deal of the success the Panthers had.  "There are a lot of people who hated losing and elevated their own play in crucial moments and, for us, it wasn't even the same person in every match," Jesse said.  "We were creative and figured out different ways to win depending on who we were playing.  Even with different lineups we managed to find success with our adaptability and versatility.  It might not have been pretty volleyball sometimes but the team just found ways to win and compete at a high level."

The ECC coach said she hoped the Panthers would have a good season before it began, but it was hard to predict the outcome.  "We are just in a bubble in that time frame.  You are never sure what each team is bringing to the table.  I knew we would be competitive and would have some opportunities to be successful.  I thought we would definitely improve on last year's record (9-21), but never truly thought about hitting the milestone of wins in a season.  That's probably me always trying to stay present in the moment, but I'm glad this is the group to do it.  They are all great individuals on and off the court and deserve all the success they had with their hard work."

Jesse said the 2023 season means a lot for the ECC volleyball program.  "Since I started here, it's been growing every year to get to this point.  Even the past few seasons, I felt we were on the edge of some great things but just couldn't quite get there.  It's been building every year and I'm so happy ECC volleyball has been put on people's radars.  It makes my day hearing people brought their kids to matches and got them excited for the sport."  The Panthers had a 9-1 home record in '23.

Now, the Panthers hope to keep the momentum gained from this fall into the spring season.  "Adding individuals for next season who fit our team chemistry and carry that competitive edge will be essential for us moving forward," Jesse concluded.