APPLETON, Wis. - The Ripon College Women's Tennis team continued their excellent start to the 2018 season Thursday afternoon, defeating Lawrence University 7-2 in their first conference match of the season. Ripon is now off to their best start to a season (2-0) in over a decade, while their latest victory marks the first time since 2008 that the Red Hawks have opened their conference season with a victory.

"This was a great team effort by everyone today," Ripon Head Coach Rob Oertel said. "It's a nice accomplishment to get a 7-2 win against a team that beat us 8-1 last season."

Lawrence won two of the three doubles matches on Thursday, with Ripon's lone victory coming at the top flight where freshmen Brianna Bembenek and Hannah Ryback teamed up for an 8-4 victory.

The Red Hawks then won all six singles matches to earn the team victory. Bembenek was victorious at the top flight, 6-0, 6-1, while Ryback won at the second flight 6-2, 6-2. Morgan Makar won her number three match by a score of 6-4, 7-5, while Samantha Kiesner and MacKenzie Warner won at the fourth and fifth flight by scores of 6-3, 6-2 and 6-4, 7-5, respectively. Katelyn Peroutka also won her match at the sixth flight by a score of 6-1, 6-1.

Ripon will try to keep their momentum going on Saturday when they'll host Grinnell and Cornell (Iowa) at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., respectively, at Larson Courts in Ripon.