By Marissa VanWingen, The Times Citizen
Ellsworth Community College traveled to Columbus, Neb. with a similar record to the team on the other side of the net. And the two were evenly matched.
There were 23 ties before the Panthers earned the four set win over Central Community College 25-16, 18-25, 25-19 and 28-26. In the match, two new school records were set for ECC (18-10).
Both Elitsa Peneva and Ana Cuartero went into the match on the edge of setting single season school records. Peneva needed just 15 assists to set the new mark for career assists in a match (956), she did that and added to the new milestone. Cuartero is now one and three in the record books for kills in a season. In 2023 she finished with 334 and on Monday night she surpassed 371.
The visitors welcomed back sophomore hitter Natalie See, who missed nine matches due to injury. She scored two of the first three points and four in the opening set. After taking the 4-3 on a Cuartero kill, ECC went on a run to lead 12-8 on another Cuartero hit. The advantage swelled to six (16-10) when the Raiders tipped the ball out of bounds. Leading 21-16, Taylor Ross recorded a kill and the Panthers scored four in a row to win it by the largest margin – 25-16.
Game two had seven even marks before Central went on a run. The hosts took the 8-7 lead and then on top 10-9 scored four in a row. They would not give up the lead and won the second 25-18.
Both teams played scrappy defense as they forced long volleys. The third game looked to have the Raiders in the driver's seat. There were six early ties and then the hosts took the 11-7 lead. The two went point for point until a See kill knotted the game once again at 16-16. The Panthers then went on to score three in a row on back-to-back See hits. The two would be even one more time at 19-19 when Juliana Nunez's hit gave the visitors the advantage. With Peneva serving, ECC scored six in a row to end it and won the game on Cuartero's kill (25-19).
Once again in the fourth game Central went on top. With the help of three ace serves, the Raiders went on top 11-4 before Nunez had a kill to get the ball back. The difference swelled to eight (18-10) before the Panthers made a move with a service error by Central. Ross and Peneva came together for a block to start the ECC run. They scored seven in a row, including back-to-back See blocks and a tip. It was match point when Cuartero's hit went off the block (25-21).
The hosts got the ball back and knotted the match three more times, the final one at 26-26. Nunez had a kill go down for the lead and then a Ross block won it for the visitors.
Ellsworth 3, Central 1
Monday at Columbus, Neb.
ECC: 25| 18| 25| 28
CCC: 16| 25| 19| 26
ECC Stats Unavailable