Ripon volleyball finds itself in an exciting position. Looking for their first Midwest Conference (MWC) tournament berth since 2017, the team welcomes in eight new players, the largest incoming class for the program since their last top four finish. 

"I have always been the most excited to get things rolling during preseason and develop connections with the incoming class," junior outside hitter Haylee Kast (Reedsburg, Wis., Reedsburg Area HS) says. "Coach brought in a large class last year, and there has been so much growth and talent within that group, so I am really excited to see what she is bringing in with this large incoming class too."

Kast, a co-captain for the program, understands the importance of the team's first week back together. 

"We have eight busy days during preseason… This week is the most important part of the season as we learn the new strengths of the incoming freshman and truly learn how to work together…" Kast says, focusing specifically on the three preseason scrimmages. "We have never had this many scrimmages in a preseason, and this is the best way to develop game-like chemistry with different sorts of lineups to see which works best for us."

Senior middle Lainie Heizler (Park Falls, Wis., Chequamegon HS), coming off a year which saw her sustain the third highest hitting percentage in the MWC while picking up the ninth most blocks, is also looking forward with excitement. 

"We're a young team with a lot of talent; I'm hoping this helps elevate our play and record this year. I'm excited to get back out on the court with both the returners and new players, nothing quite matches the feeling and adrenaline you get right before that first whistle on game day."

Heizler sees the utilization of that game day energy as crucial to the team's success.

"To achieve our best performance as a team this year, we need to keep working to have consistent energy to help push us forward in high moments and snap us out of lulls. We were competitive last year, but continuing to develop the ability to persist in those situations will help us close out close games more often."

Sophomore Makenna Harren (Rosemount, Minn., Rosemount HS) adds to Heizler's sentiment, seeing communication as the path forward for the program. 

"We need to have strong communication with clear and constant talk on the court, as well as having off-court communication, so everyone is on the same page about their roles on the team. I also think we need to have leadership at all levels and vocal leaders who set a tone and lead by example, as well as coaches and players working together to maintain positive relationships."

Harren sees this as a likely result for the program and its players, anticipating a season of personal and team growth.

"I am looking forward to the competition, testing myself against high-level opponents [to see] how much I have grown from last season… as well as the team atmosphere and building relationships with my teammates," Harren says, going on to outline her preparation this offseason. "I have been training physically with constant lifting and conditioning workouts so I can improve my strength and endurance. I have also been setting personal goals for the season and developing ways to stay focused in matches, as well as repping key volleyball skills like serving accuracy, hitting variety, and defensive position."

The energy, the communication, and the leadership of the team will have plenty of opportunities to be showcased with this season's schedule. 

 

Volleyball opens their year with a trio of tournaments, sneaking in a week three dual meet amidst multi-team showdowns. Beginning with the Ripon College Classic, the Red Hawks will welcome five other teams to the Willmore Center, taking on Martin Luther and St. Mary's for a thematic day one before facing UW-Superior and Emmaus Bible College on day two. MLC put together an 8-20 season last year, including a 2-2 weekend record at the 2024 Ripon College Classic. This match up will be the first between the Red Hawks and the Knights since 2014, with Ripon taking their last meeting 3-0. Saint Mary's had a similar 2024, going 9-20 on the year with a 0-11 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference record. The Cardinals hold a ten win streak against Ripon stretching back to 2007, and the Red Hawks will look to avenge last season's five set loss to the avian rival. 

Day two puts Ripon against strong opposition, opening up with a Yellowjacket team coming off a 24-8 season. UW-Superior battled through the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) last season, avenging a regular season loss to Minnesota Morris before falling in the UMAC Tournament Final to #12 ranked Northwestern (Minn.). The Yellowjackets took the Red Hawks down in straight sets during their most recent 2023 match up, and hold a 5-2 advantage over Ripon since 1998. After UW-Superior, Ripon takes on the Emmaus Bible College Eagles in the first meeting of the two programs. The Eagles went 18-7 last season, competing mainly against other National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) competition. 

The Red Hawks continue on with the Milwaukee School of Engineering two-day tournament on Sept 5 and 6, slotting in a dual match against Loras on Sept 9 before hosting the Red Hawks Invitational the following weekend. After the busy start, Ripon slows down with two weekends of triangular matches at Wisconsin Lutheran and Lakeland before conference competition begins. 

Ripon's conference schedule opens Oct 3, with the Red Hawks hosting Beloit. Ripon took down the Buccaneers twice last season, holding Beloit to just 33 total points across three sets in their most recent victory. The Buccaneers would conclude 2024 with an 0-8 conference record, and a 4-21 record overall. 

Following the ninth place MWC competition, Ripon takes on the reigning MWC Champions the very next day, hosting Cornell College on Oct 4. The Rams put together a perfect 8-0 conference record in 2024, including a 3-0 victory over the Red Hawks. While Cornell loses their top kills leader to graduation, the Rams retain their First Team All-MWC libero, and look focused on defending their title. 

The Red Hawks' rivalry match against Lawrence University comes next, with the Red Hawks traveling to Appleton on Oct 8. The two teams have seen close competition over the past five seasons, with Ripon holding a slight 3-2 advantage over the Vikings. While Lawrence would claim the 3-0 win over the Red Hawks last season, Ripon would come within two points of grabbing the first and third set. 

Ripon concludes their conference regular season with a Nov 8 game against Monmouth College. Returning an All-MWC First Team outside hitter, the Fighting Scots will look to improve on their third place conference finish, conquering the Red Hawks 3-0 last season. Ripon will look to even out the recent history of contests, with the Fighting Scots winning four of the five most recent games between the two programs. 
 

Calculated as the percentage of hitting attempts that register as kills (minus errors), hitting percentage is the main statistic in understanding the efficiency of offense in volleyball, while opponent hitting percentage generally shows the efficacy of a team's defense. Sitting atop both statistical categories in the MWC is defending champion Cornell, with a .200 team hitting percentage against an opponent average .138 for the 2024 season. The Rams ranked 79th and 92nd respectively for Division III, with Monmouth also narrowly making the top 100 in each category for the division.

On the other end, Beloit's .053 hitting percentage ranked as the 17th lowest in Division III, while Knox's .062 stands as the 22nd lowest. The Buccaneer's .258 opponent hitting percentage ranked the 6th highest across Division III teams, while the Prairie Fire followed closely with the 14th highest at .235.

The top three teams in the MWC saw their numbers improve against conference opponents when compared to the overall schedule. On average, the top teams saw a .051 increase in hitting during MWC competition, while reducing opponent hitting percentage by .041.

 

Ripon Volleyball opens their season with the Ripon College Classic, held on campus from Aug 29 - Aug 30. Follow the team throughout the season on Instagram @riponcollegevb