HAYFIELD &045; The first three matches were a breeze for the New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva volleyball team.

The championship was a bit tougher.

The Panthers pounded Rochester Lourdes, Blooming Prairie and Goodhue before falling 2-0 to Lyle/Austin Pacelli in the Hayfield Invitational Saturday.

It was the first loss of the season for NRHEG, which ran its record to 6-1.

&uot;We ran into a very solid Lyle/Pacelli team,&uot; said coach Jackie Schultz. &uot;We really struggled against them. We only tabbed seven hitting kills while committing 18 hitting errors. We won’t win many games with that many hitting errors. Lyle/Pacelli put up some good blocks against our hitters. Their defense was very quick and very scrappy they didn’t let many hit the floor.&uot;

In the opening rounds, the Panthers defeated Lourdes 25-16 and 25-14, Blooming Prairie 25-15 and 25-15 and Goodhue 25-21 and 25-14. Against Lyle/Pacelli, it was 25-16 and 25-21.

Schultz was pleased with the Panthers’ serving for the day, 96 percent, but wants to see improvement at the net.

&uot;Our letdown was our hitting consistency &045; 72 percent, 58

kills to 46 errors,&uot; said the coach.

&uot;We have been much better than that in our previous matches.&uot;

The Panthers’ leaders for the tournament: Andrea Perkins, 32-for-35 serving, 22 points, four aces, 12 digs, 16-for-23 serve receive; Brandis Hagen, 32-for-34, 18 points, two aces, 14 kills, 10 blocks, 19 digs, 15-for-24 serve receive; Kalisha Anthony, 22-for-23, two aces, 15 kills, 16 blocks, 25 digs; Erin Anderson, 42-for-42, 27 points, eight aces, seven kills, 60 set assists, 21 digs; Emily Hagen, 34-for-34, 22 points, four aces, 1 kills, 23 digs, 10-for-12 serve receive; Chelsy Quiram, 13 kills, 16 blocks, 13 digs, 16-for-24 serve receive; and Mackensie Tappe, nine kills.

The Panthers play tonight at Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton and Thursday at home against Medford.