RIPON, Wisconsin — Playing in its second match of another weekend back-to-back, the Ripon volleyball program showed no signs of rust as the Red Hawks rolled past Beloit 3-1 on Saturday afternoon inside Weiske Gymnasium.
 
Aided by three lopsided set victories, Ripon (9-17, 2-5 MWC) took down Beloit (1-22, 0-7 MWC) 25-10, 15-25, 25-15, 25-14.
 
Ripon couldn't have asked for a better start, scoring the first nine points of the match. The lead eventually grew to a dozen on multiple occasions and the Red Hawks' biggest lead of the set was 22-6 after an Emily Braun service ace. Soon after, Ripon would claim the set by 15 thanks to a kill by Ellie Ove.
 
Set two was non-competitive in the other direction, as Beloit showed fight following a long five-set match on Friday night at Lawrence. Beloit went on a 7-1 run at the midway point of the set to take a 16-7 lead. Ripon would get no closer than nine the rest of the way as the Bucs finished off the set to win by double digits.
 
Ripon responded in a big way in set three, taking an early punch from the Bucs after Beloit led 5-3. From there, Ripon scored six consecutive points to take a 9-5 lead, a lead it would not relinquish in the frame. After Beloit pulled within four at 15-11, a critical 5-0 Ripon run – punctuated by a Sam Differt service ace – all but assured Ripon would take set three as the Red Hawks won the rubber-match set by 10.
 
Set four was even in the early stages, though the latest Ripon deficit was only 3-1. It was a steady attack for the Red Hawks in set four, scoring three consecutive points on multiple occasions. Holding a 22-14 lead, a kill by Lydia Ellis along with a Beloit service ace and a Bucs attack error put the match away for good.
 
Ove had a match-high 13 kills, while Ellis continued her strong weekend with a dozen kills. She hit .455 for the second consecutive day after 17 kills at a .455 clip on Friday. Braun had 25 assists with just 2 errors as the setter.
 
Defensively, Sam Thrasher had another productive outing, registering at least 17 digs for the fourth consecutive match. She has now recorded double-figure digs in 21 of 27 matches this season (six in a row).
 
As a team, Ripon had 45 kills to the Bucs' 25. The Red Hawks also had 12 aces, its most aces since September 9 against Alverno. Though blocks were even at 4 apiece, Ripon had a 55-39 advantage in digs and a 36-20 edge in assists.
 
Ripon goes on the road next week, first facing Carroll on Wednesday (November 1) for a 7 p.m. non-conference match in Waukesha.
 
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