IOWA FALLS - The second-ranked Iowa Central volleyball team wasted little time taking care of Ellsworth here Wednesday night in their ICCAC opener.

The Tritons posted a sweep over the Panthers by scores of 25-19, 25-18 and 25-9.

As three-time defending league champions, Iowa Central (8-0 overall, 1-0 in ICCAC) was pegged the preseason favorite to finish atop the standings once again. The Tritons started the year with four wins at a tournament in Illinois followed by three victories inside Hodges Fieldhouse.

"Ellsworth came out with a packed crowd, with the majority of the crowd being really loud students," Iowa Central head coach Sara Horn said. "It definitely took us a litlte bit to figure out how to communicate with each other and to stay focused through all the noise.

"I thought we did a great job of just staying consistent and getting better as the match went on."

Angel Baylark and Brooke Dobson each recorded 11 kills with Molly McCauley adding nine. Jori Hajek had seven to go along with 13 digs.

Baylyn Johnson had 22 digs, Bria Sandifer 14 and Alesha Johnson eight with 42 assists.

This Friday and Saturday, the Tritons will host a special tournament that includes top-ranked Parkland and No. 9 Illinois Central. Iowa Central and Parkland play Friday night while the Tritons and Illinois Central square off on Saturday.

-By Dana Becker