RIPON, Wisconsin— The Ripon volleyball program hosted its first of two Friday night Midwest Conference matches at Weiske Gymnasium, falling to Monmouth 3-0 (23-25, 8-25, 15-25).
 
The teams went back and forth for the majority of the first set, both using long rallies in an ultra-competitive opening frame. Neither team led by more than two in the first 30 points until the Scots scored back-to-back points to lead 17-14. However, Ripon (7-10, 0-2 MWC) scored the next six points and led 20-17 following a block by Lainie Heizler and Emily Braun, their second together in a matter of three points. Monmouth (11-8, 1-0 MWC) charged back, scoring the ensuing four points to retake the lead at 21-20. The Scots scored the final three points to take a close set.
 
Set two was a similar story as the first set in the early going; Ripon took an early two-point advantage but the Scots led 10-6 moments later, prompting a Red Hawk timeout. Monmouth kept Ripon at a distance from there, holding a lead of at least three for the rest of the set. A key 12-0 spurt for the Scots ballooned the lead to 22-7, and the stanza was won a short while later on a solo block by Monmouth.
 
Six consecutive points by Monmouth in set four gave the visitors a 10-5 lead, but a Nickie Shaw kill on the next point briefly stemmed the tide. The Scots' biggest lead in the early going was seven, as Ripon called a timeout trailing 13-6. After the timeout, Monmouth kept the pressure on and the Red Hawks got no closer than six the rest of the way. Ripon called its final timeout of the set trailing 19-9, and scored five points in a row moments later to creep within seven at 21-14. However, Monmouth ended the night by scoring four of the last five points to finish off the sweep.
 
Heizler and Haylee Kast each led Ripon offensively with 5 kills, while Braun dished out a match-high 16 assists. Michaela Riege and Bella Kasuboski each tallied double-digit digs, recording 16 (a match-high) and 12 respectively.
 
Monmouth held statistical advantages in kills (34-23), aces and blocks (9-4), assists (32-20) and digs (64-61).
 
With the result, Monmouth snapped a five-match losing streak on the road against Ripon, winning inside the Willmore Center for the first time since 2011.
 
Ripon finishes its weekend at home on Saturday (October 5) as the Red Hawks square off against Illinois College at 1 p.m.
 
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