RIPON, Wis. -- The Ripon College volleyball team battled hard on Homecoming afternoon but came up short against Cornell College, falling in straight sets (25-15, 25-20, 25-16) inside Weiske Gymnasium on Friday.

Despite the 3-0 loss, the Red Hawks showed moments of strong play, particularly in the second set when they rallied to keep things close behind the offensive efforts of sophomore Makenna Harren (Rosemount, Minn., Rosemount HS), who led the team with 13 kills, and freshman Addi Johnson (Milwaukee, Wis., Wisconsin Lutheran HS), who added seven more. Sophomore Hannah Michaels (Waukesha, Wis., Waukesha North HS) also contributed 6 kills, helping fuel Ripon's attack. 

Senior Emily Braun (Juneau, Wis., Dodgeland HS) paced the offense with 11 assists, while freshman Mattea Jacobson (Saint Croix Falls, Wis., Saint Croix Falls HS) chipped in 10. On defense, senior Samantha Differt (Sturgeon Bay, Wis., Sevastopol HS) anchored the back row with 15 digs, followed by Michaela Riege with nine and Johnson with five. Braun also recorded a team high two service aces, and senior Lainie Heizler (Park Falls, Wis., Chequamegon HS) added the team's lone block.

As a team, Ripon hit .100 for the match, totaling 32 kills on 110 attempts. Cornell proved efficient on offense, hitting .337 and tallying 38 kills, along with 44 digs and seven service aces. 

The Red Hawks, now 7-13 overall and 1-1 in conference play, will look to bounce back on the road Wednesday, Oct 8, when they travel to Lawrence University for a 7 pm matchup.