WAUKESHA, Wis. -- The Ripon College volleyball team wrapped up regular-season play on the road Saturday, competing in the Carroll Triangular against host Carroll University and nationally ranked No. 24 Whitewater. Despite flashes of strong play, the Red Hawks dropped both matches, falling 3–1 to Carroll and 3–0 to Whitewater.

Game 1

Ripon opened the day with a strong showing against Carroll, rallying after a slow start to take the third set and push the Pioneers deep into extra points in the fourth. After dropping the first two frames, the Red Hawks came alive behind sophomore Makenna Harren (Rosemount, Minn., Rosemount HS) and junior Haylee Kast (Reedsburg, Wis., Reedsburg Area HS), who combined for 23 kills in the match.

The Red Hawks hit .286 in the third set and claimed a 25–18 win to extend the match. In the fourth, Ripon fought to the finish before Carroll closed out a 28–26 decision. Harren led Ripon with 13 kills, while Kast added 10, and senior LainieHeizler (Park Falls, Wis., Chequamegon HS) posted seven kills along with a team-high six blocks.

Freshman Mattea Jacobson (Saint Croix Falls, Wis., Saint Croix Falls HS) and senior Emily Braun (Juneau, Wis., Dodgeland HS) shared setting duties with 16 and 14 assists, respectively. Defensively,  senior Michaela Riege (Waterloo, Wis., Bryant & Stratton College) led the way with 14 digs as Ripon totaled eight team blocks in the near-comeback effort.

Game 2

Facing one of the region's top programs, Ripon showed resilience against nationally ranked UW-Whitewater. The Red Hawks improved their play throughout the match, nearly forcing a fourth set after a strong rally in the third frame.

Addi Johnson (Milwaukee, Wis., Wisconsin Lutheran HS) paced Ripon's offense with seven kills, followed by Kast with five and Harren with four. Jacobson handed out 10 assists, while senior Samantha Differt (Sturgeon Bay, Wis. Sevastopol HS) anchored the defense with 10 digs. Kast, Heizler, and feshman Alexis Wieczorek (Crete, Ill., Crete-Monee HS) each recorded three or more blocks, helping slow Whitewater's potent attack.

Despite the straight-sets loss, Ripon matched the Warhawks with 41 digs and displayed strong defensive communication throughout the contest.

Up Next

The Red Hawks (9–18, 3–4 MWC) return home for their final match of the season on Friday, Nov 8, hosting Monmouth College at 1 pm inside Weiske Gymnasium. The matchup marks Ripon's final home appearance of 2025 and a chance to close the season on a high note in front of the home crowd.