RIPON, Wis. -- The Ripon College volleyball team battled throughout a five-set match against Monmouth College on Friday night, ultimately falling to the Fighting Scots, 3-2, at Weiske Gymnasium.
The Red Hawks opened the night with a strong first set, outlasting Monmouth 26-24. Ripon continued to battle in the second set, but Monmouth evened the match with a 25-18 win. The third set was another tightly contested frame, with Ripon falling just short, 27-25.
Facing a 2-1 deficit, the Red Hawks responded in the fourth set. Ripon jumped out to a strong offensive performance, winning 25-15 to force a decisive fifth set. The final set remained competitive, but Monmouth ultimately secured the match with a 15-12 victory.
Sophomore Addi Johnson (Milwaukee, Wis., Wisconsin Lutheran HS) led the Ripon offense with 20 kills, while senior Haylee Kast (Reedsburg, Wis., Reedsburg Area HS) followed with 15 kills. Junior Makenna Harren (Rosemount, Minn., Rosemount HS) added 13 kills and posted a team-best .282 hitting percentage. Sophomore Brooklyn Tranberg (Milwaukee, Wis., Wisconsin Lutheran HS) contributed seven kills and three service aces, while sophomore Mattea Jacobson (Saint Croix Falls, Wis., Saint Croix Falls HS) finished with 50 assists and 25 digs.
Defensively, sophomore Bryn Carlson (Green Lake, Wis., Ripon HS) paced the Red Hawks with 44 digs, while Tranberg recorded 30 and Jacobson added 25. Kast contributed 12 digs and four total blocks, while Harren added six block assists. As a team, Ripon finished with 60 kills, 57 assists, eight service aces, 19 total blocks and 134 digs.
With the loss, Ripon moves to 5-12 overall and 0-1 in Midwest Conference play. The Red Hawks will remain at home tomorrow, Saturday, Oct 3, when they welcome Grinnell College to Weiske Gymnasium for a 1pm match.
