GALESBURG, Illinois — The Ripon volleyball program suffered a 3-1 (25-17, 21-25, 20-25, 27-29) defeat at Knox on Saturday afternoon inside Memorial Gymnasium.
 
Ripon (8-15, 0-5 MWC) came out swinging in the opening moments, scoring the first three points of the match and taking an early 12-4 lead. A 3-0 spurt pushed the Red Hawks' lead to nine at 18-9, and the Red Hawks scored five of the final seven points in the set to win the opening stanza comfortably, 25-17.
 
Ripon again led early at the onset of set two, leading 7-5 before Knox (3-18, 2-3 MWC) scored five of the next six points to pull in front 10-8. Ripon's latest lead of the frame was 14-13, but the Prairie Fire went on a 5-0 run after that to lead by four. The Red Hawks never got closer than three the rest of the set and the match was knotted at one.
 
A 7-0 run in the beginning of set three gave Knox a 12-3 advantage. Ripon clawed back, and a kill by Haylee Kast brought Ripon within four at 18-14. Four consecutive points for the Red Hawks moments later made Knox's lead 20-18, but the hosts scored four of the next five points to push their lead. A Ripon service error gave Knox set three and a 2-1 lead in the match.
 
The teams went back-and-forth in set four, and three consecutive points for the Red Hawks gave the visitors a 10-6 advantage. Knox responded to tie the set at multiple points, but another three-point spurt put Ripon in front 16-13. Three more consecutive points moments later had Ripon lead 20-15, but Knox had a match-point opportunity at 24-23. Ripon had three set-point chances late in the frame, but the Prairie Fire won the match with a 3-0 run to close the set.
 
Lainie Heizler set a career-high on Saturday with 13 kills, a match-high, while Kast had 12 and Emily Braun set a new career-high with 42 assists. She also collected 12 digs for her sixth double-double of the season. Michaela Riege tallied a team-high 18 digs for the Red Hawks, while Bella Kasuboski chipped in 14.
 
As a team, Ripon had a 54-38 edge in kills and a 50-36 advantage in assists. Knox had 11 aces to Ripon's nine, and had eight blocks to Ripon's five.
 
Ripon stays on the road next weekend, traveling to Grinnell on Friday, November 1 and Beloit on Saturday, November 2.
 
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