NEW RICHLAND- The United South Central volleyball team traveled to New Richland to take on the New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva Panthers in a Gopher Conference clash.

The Rebels got out to an early two to zero lead until NRHEG won the last three games to defeat USC 3-2.

“It was very disappointing,” USC coach Jolene Bute said. “We had it in the bag. We just didn’t finish it out. We should of played our game and it didn’t happen.”

The Rebels raced out to an early two game advantage after taking games one and two 25-19.

It was in the third game that the Panthers started to step up their game.

NRHEG took game three 25-13 and game four 25-18 to force a fifth game.

In the tiebreaker, it was the Panthers that delivered the knockout blow with a 15-8 win to clinch the tiebreaker and the match.

Kayla Stenzel led the Rebels with seven kills, while Val Sahr had six kills and five ace blocks.

Marielle Schultz had 30 set assists and went 16-for-16 from the service line.

Tayla Sunde also led USC with 20 digs.

NRHEG 3, USC 2

USC 25 25 13 18 8

NRHEG 19 19 25 25 15