NEW RICHLAND &045; It was an up-and-down night for the New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva volleyball team.

The Panthers started and finished on top.

After jumping to a 7-2 lead but losing the first game 15-9, the Panthers rallied to defeat Alden-Conger 3-1 in a Gopher Conference match at New Richland Thursday night, winning the final games 15-3, 15-12, 15-13.

&uot;When we started so well I felt we were on our way,&uot; said NRHEG coach Jackie Schultz. &uot;But we started shanking passes and really went in to a shell again. We have some players really playing with a lack of confidence right now. We are not the team that started out 10-0. We’re in a funk.

We need to get out of it.&uot;

The Panthers improved to 12-3 overall and 4-2 in the conference.

A key for both teams was serving. The Panthers were 98 percent, 93-for-95, while the Knights were 87 percent, 73-for-84.

&uot;Serving kept us in it,&uot; said Schultz.

The Panthers, outscored 13-2 down the stretch in the opener, played their best volleyball of the night in game two.

&uot;Things really clicked,&uot; said Schultz, who said games three and four were similar to the first in that the Panthers struggled defensively.

The Panthers’ statistical leaders: Emily Hagen 22-for-23 serving, one ace, 15 points,

nine kills, two blocks, 12 digs; Kalisha Anthony 17-for-17 serving, nine points, two kills, three blocks; Erin Anderson 17-for-17 serving, one ace, 10 points, three kills, four blocks, 29 set assists; Camille Kyte 14-for-14 serving, one ace, seven points, 18 kills, seven blocks, 17 digs; Chelsy Quiram 10-for-10 serving, five points, two kills, seven blocks, 13 digs, 8-for-11 serve receive; Nicole Lonning 8-for-8 serving, one ace, five points; Emily Horan 5-for-6 serving, nine digs, 3-for-3 serve receive.

The Panthers play Saturday in the Blue Earth Area Invitational. The Knights are off until Tuesday, when they host Mankato Loyola.