RIPON, Wisconsin — The Ripon volleyball program went toe-to-toe with the Midwest Conference frontrunners on Friday night, but ran out of steam and fell 3-1 to Lake Forest inside Weiske Gymnasium.
 
In the highly competitive match, Lake Forest won by set scores of 22-25, 25-18, 25-15 and 26-24.
 
Ripon (6-15, 0-4 MWC) controlled the first set over the league-leading Foresters (13-4, 4-0 MWC) and, once Lake Forest got out to a 2-1 lead, never trailed in the frame again. The biggest lead of the set was 7 when Ripon led 11-4 after a Forester attack error. Though the Red Hawks held a steady lead, Ripon was unable to easily put away LFC and the lead was just 23-22 after an LFC service ace. However, a kill by Ellie Ove and a bad set by LFC gave Ripon an important 1-0 lead in the match.
 
In set one, Ripon had a 14-11 advantage in kills and bested Lake Forest in hitting percentage (.163 to .162).
 
Ripon never led in set two as Lake Forest was able to even the score. Down just three at 19-16, Ripon conceded five consecutive points as the Foresters took their biggest lead of the match at 24-18 and put the set away on the next point.
 
In the frame, LFC hit a sweltering .379 while holding Ripon to just a .158 clip. The Foresters also had 4 service aces compared to Ripon's 1.
 
In the all-important set three, there were six ties before either team reached 10 points. Up 12-11, Lake Forest scored six of the next eight points to force a Ripon timeout with the Red Hawks trailing 18-13. Out of the timeout, LFC went on a 3-0 run to force another Ripon timeout. The Foresters grabbed a 2-1 lead in the match soon after, winning the set 25-15.
 
Lake Forest raced out to a 6-0 lead in the fourth stanza before Ripon was on the board thanks to a service error. The Red Hawks clawed back and used a 5-0 run, punctuated by two Paris Croker kills, to take their first lead of the set at 11-10. Ripon used timely hitting and blocking to grab a 16-13 lead – its biggest of the set – before the Foresters answered with a 3-0 spurt to tie the match.
 
Ripon had a set point clinging to a 24-23 lead, but Lake Forest scored the next three points to steal the set and leave Ripon with the victory.
 
Lydia Ellis had a night to remember for the Red Hawks offensively. The fifth-year senior hit a season-high .529 on 11 kills and 17 swings.
 
Emily Braun had 33 assists and 16 digs for her fifth double-double of the season, while Sam Thrasher chipped in 12 digs.
 
Overall, Lake Forest held advantages in kills (49-41), hitting percentage (.231 to .122), aces (12-5), assists (44-39) and digs (65-61). Ripon had more blocks, tallying 7 to LFC's 4.
 
Ripon stays home on Saturday (October 14) for the Ripon College Triangular. The Red Hawks will face Northland at 10 a.m. and Maranatha Baptist at 2 p.m.
 
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