The Ellsworth volleyball squad posted a pair of wins early this week to extend its season-long winning streak to three matches.
The Panthers topped Lake Benton during a four-game road match Monday before returning home Tuesday to sweep a three-game contest from Sioux Valley-Round Lake-Brewster Tuesday.
Ellsworth, 3-7 overall, will try to continue its winning ways when it hosts Southwest Christian Tuesday.
Ellsworth 3, SV-RL-B 0
The Panthers extended their current roll by racking up a three-game home win over the Raiders Tuesday.
SV-RL-B pressured the Panthers during the first two games of the match without gaining a win.
Ellsworth controlled Game 3 by playing solid team volleyball, which has been crucial to the team's recent success.
"The kids are really coming together as one and are playing well as a team. It's paying off for us, too," said Panther coach Ryan Nielsen.
The Panthers took Game 1 by a 15-10 count before pulling out a 16-14 victory in the second test. EHS saved its best for last, coasting to a 15-7 victory.
Julie Pommer led the Panthers in serving during the match with seven aces and 11 points. Connie Lewis had seven kills and four blocks at the net.
Ellsworth 3, LB 1
The Panther girls produced their first road win of the 2000 campaign when they bested the Bobcats in Lake Benton Monday.
The teams split games to start the match before Ellsworth took control of the contest and nailed down a pair of wins in Games 3 and 4.
"They all were neck-and-neck games, and some were closer than they should have been," said Nielsen. "We played bad at times and good at other times. It was like a roller coaster ride. It was a good match for us because we had to fight hard to win."
Ellsworth took an early lead by pulling out a 15-13 victory in the opener before the Bobcats evened the match at one game each with a 15-9 win in Game 2.
The Panthers nailed down their second consecutive win by posting a pair of 15-12 victories in Games 3 and 4.
"Just knowing that we could do it and having the determination to win was the key for our girls. They took it upon themselves to get a win, and they did a good job of doing it," Nielsen said.
Jamie Leuthold served six aces and eight points to lead the Panthers at the line.
Connie Lewis and Julie Pommer set the tone at the net by recording eight blocks and six kills respectively.