By John RittenhouseThe Ellsworth volleyball team posted two wins while participating in a pair of events late last week.The Panthers lost a four-game Camden Conference match to Minneota in Minneota Thursday. Ellsworth attended the Russell-Tyler-Ruthton Tournament Saturday, going 2-2 and placing fourth.Ellsworth, 8-9 overall, hosts Lake Benton tonight before playing in Hills Monday.R-T-R tourneyThe Panthers split four matches and finished fourth during Saturday’s tournament played in Ruthton and Tyler.Ellsworth went 2-1 in pool play at Ruthton in the morning before falling to the host team in Tyler during the third- and fourth-place match in the afternoon.Ellsworth faced Southwest Star Concept in the first round and posted a 25-15 win before falling 25-18 in the second game. Since the Panthers outscored the Quasars 43-40 in both games, they were declared the match victors.Amanda Deutsch was 11 of 11 serving and led the Panthers with 11 digs against SSC. Laurel Drenth recorded seven kills. Marla Groen charted 10 set assists.The Panthers recorded 25-18 and 26-24 wins over Canby in the second round of pool play.Groen and Lynette Drenth registered 10 set assists each, while Laurel Drenth led the way with 11 kills. Deutsch paced the Panthers with 11 digs. Amy Tiesler was nine of nine serving with one ace.Wabasso snapped Ellsworth’s two-match winning streak by handing the Panthers 25-13 and 25-18 setbacks in the final round of pool play.Deutsch, who led the Panthers with 10 digs, was seven of seven serving with one ace against the Rabbits. Lynette Drenth recorded eight set assists. Laurel Drenth had seven kills.The R-T-R Knights dominated the Panthers by posting 25-3 and 25-10 wins over EHS in the match for third and fourth place.Brittney Kramer and Laurel Drenth had two blocks each against the Knights."We played really well in the first two matches," said Panther coach Jason Langland. "I think we ran out of gas after that."Minneota 3,Ellsworth 1The Panthers played well against a very good team when they traveled to Minneota for a Camden Conference match Thursday.Ellsworth stunned the Vikings, who are the fourth-ranked team in Class 1A, by posting a 25-23 victory in Game 1.Minneota, however, took control of the match after the opener and nailed down 25-2, 25-13 and 25-14 wins to prevail in four games."They are a good team," Panther coach Langland said of the Vikings. "There is a reason why they are ranked fourth in state. I don’t know if we were too excited about winning that first game or what, but we kind of folded after that. Still, I was happy with the way our girls played against a very good team."Laurel and Lynette Drenth had big nights in Minneota. Laurel Drenth had eight kills, six blocks and nine digs. Lynette Drenth, who registered six set assists, was 13 of 13 serving. Deutsch added 11 digs to Ellsworth’s cause..
