By Marissa VanWingen, The Times Citizen. 

The Iowa Community College Athletic Conference standings are starting to take shape.

The top three teams have separated from the rest of the pack. Ellsworth Community College traveled to Northeast Community College, who was just ahead of the Panthers in the standings.
The Hawks (22-12, 6-2) earned the three set win 25-19, 25-19 and 25-15 pushing ECC to a three-way tie with a 4-4 conference record (16-10 overall).

Game one was close with the Panthers leading early. The hosts knotted the score at 6-6 and then took the advantage. The Hawks scored seven of the next eight points to lead 13-7. The difference swelled to as many as seven on one of NECC's nine aces (16-9). The Panthers would get within three but never closer than that as the Hawks closed out the 25-19 win.

NECC jumped out to a 4-0 lead in set two before ECC scored on an Ana Cuartero kill between the block. The difference was 6-1 when Sydnee Kammrad knocked down a kill and the Panthers would get within one on a Taylor Ross stop at the net (8-7). With Gabby Burton serving the two would be knotted at 9-9, but the Hawks would go on to score three in a row and never relinquish the lead. ECC would never take the lead in the game before falling 25-19.

The final set NECC went on a 6-0 run to lead 6-2, forcing a Panther timeout. ECC would knot the score at 11-11 on a kill that went into the net before a service error allowed the hosts to go back on top. The Hawks ended the game and the match scoring six in a row and getting the 10-point game win.

The regular season is winding down for the Panthers with four matches left before the Region XI Tournament. ECC has just two more at Dittmer Gymnasium, including Thursday against eighth-place Iowa Lakes Community College (10-22, 4-4). The Panthers are currently in sixth place with three conference games remaining.

Northeast 3, Ellsworth 0
Tuesday at Norfolk, Neb.

ECC: 19| 19| 15
NECC: 25| 25| 25

ECC Stats Unavailable.