CARY — The Cary volleyball team has had its ups and downs this season. Their now-.500 conference record is proof.

As Cary coach Philip Goodloe can attest, some games go smoothly – others don’t.

But senior Rachel Weisz has been a constant for the Imps. The setter commands the floor and is a contortionist when it comes to avoiding the net. She had 36 assists in Thursday’s match against Panther Creek and was a huge reason why the Imps won 3-1 (25-16, 25-18, 17-25, 25-15).

“I honestly believe I have the best setter in the county. When she gets the pass, we’re money,” Goodloe said. “She’s just smooth. There’s no other way to put it. She’s got the best hands of any setter I’ve had.”

Weisz perfectly placed passes to hitters Leah Blackley (10 kills), Jessica Morris (nine) and Raechel Brooks (five) and kept the Panther Creek defense guessing which side the next swing was coming from.

“You always have to pay attention to the other side of the net and see the middle (blocker),” Weisz said.

For its rollercoaster play, Cary (6-3, 3-3) has been consistently competitive this year. The Imps are hoping they can continue to push toward the upper echelon of the conference standings.

“There is no powerhouse in the conference this year,” said Goodloe, noting that his Cary team took a game from Apex and Fuquay-Varina in losses. “We can beat anybody when it clicks.”

The first half of the season hasn’t gone as well as Panther Creek (3-7, 1-6) coach Bonnie O’Connor would have hoped.

Her Catamounts’ misfortunes, which include multiple injuries, piled up on Thursday: A player was stung by a bee on the bus ride to Cary High, and everyone had to get off the bus in the pouring rain.

Against Cary, the Catamounts allowed rallies of eight and nine straight points in the first two games, respectively. Panther Creek torched the Imps in game 3, leading by as many as 13. But a nine-point rally by Cary in the fourth game all but sealed the match.

“But I really like my team,” O’Connor said. “And I really like that they don’t give up. We still have those hills and valleys. We play really hard, and then let one server get five points in a row.”

Blake: 919-460-2606 or twitter.com/JMBpreps