HILTON HEAD, S.C. -- Red Hawks women's tennis (8-14) ended their Spring Break trip with two more wins, taking down Agnes Scott (2-4) and St. Mary's College of Maryland (2-3). The men's team competed closely across the week, but concluded with two losses to Asbury University (7-5) and St. Mary's (2-5).

Women vs. Agnes Scott & St. Mary's

The women's team opened well against the Scotties, taking the doubles point with a clean sweep of matches. Junior Ella Clark (Columbus, Wis., Columbus HS) and sophomore Isabella Engstrom (Ripon, Wis., Ripon HS) earned the most decisive victory for the Red Hawks in the opening matches, taking 3 doubles 6-1 behind consistent net control and aggressive service returns. 

In singles, seniors Catherine Skoglund (Roberts, Wis., St. Croix Central HS) and Allison Pavlovec (Decorah, Iowa, Decorah HS) took the first wins for Ripon at 3 and 4, winning in straight sets behind solid baseline play and opportune approaches. At 5 singles, sophomore Emily Bittinger (Shell Rock, Iowa, Waverly-Shell Rock HS) outlasted a wave of aggressive shots from her opponent, earning the close win 6-3 7-6(5). The match of the meet came at the top flight, however, when senior Allison Larsen (Lodi, Wis., Lodi HS) stayed strong down the stretch to capture a three set victory in a baseline battle, winning 12-10 in the super tiebreaker.

The St. Mary's match started more inauspiciously for the Red Hawks, with Ripon dropping the doubles point with three close losses. 3 doubles tandem Jessi Griepentrog (Freedom, Wis., Fox Valley Lutheran HS) and Hailey Sponholz (Milwaukee, Wis., Greenfield HS) played the closest match of the contest, coming up just short with an 8-10 result in the set tiebreak. 

Down 0-1 going into singles, the Red Hawks looked to overcome the deficit with against their evenly matched opponent, and came through in a big way. Skoglund, competing at 2 singles, earned the biggest win of the meet, narrowly edging out the Seahawk 10-8 in the third set tiebreak to put Ripon back on track. Pavlovec also went 2-0 on the day in singles, winning at 3 by a break each set to put Ripon up 2-1 as a team. 

The 5 and 6 spots proved to be the difference maker for the Red Hawks final day in Hilton Head. Junior Isabella DeMeuse (Hartford, Wis., Hartford Union HS), playing at 5 singles, took down the Seahawk opponent 6-4 6-2, leveling the meet at 3-3 for the last match of the day. Under the lights, Bittinger put together clutch tennis late in each set, winning 7-5 6-4 at 6 singles to send Ripon home with a 3-0 Spring Break record. 

Men vs. Asbury & St. Mary's

The first match of the day got away from the Red Hawks men early, with Asbury claiming the doubles point in a clean sweep through the flights. In singles, senior Caleb Sippel (Appleton, Wis., Appleton North HS) would see the most competitive action of the meet at the top flight, staying steady with Asbury at the top flight until a first set break determined the outcome. 

Against St. Mary's, Ripon started proceedings much more strongly, playing effective doubles and coming up clutch in a pair of tiebreaks to claim the opening point. At the top flight, Sippel and partner Kyle Flook (Sheboygan, Wis., Sheboygan South HS) captured a 7-6(5) win behind Flook's strong volleying and Sippel's serve and return presence. At 3 doubles, freshman Brandon Yanez (Ripon, Wis., Ripon HS) earned his first collegiate win, teaming with junior Corey Mooney (Greenfield, Wis., Greenfield HS) for a 7-6(4) victory and the doubles point. 

Carrying the momentum into singles, the Ripon men saw their best results from their freshmen, with Yanez continuing his hot streak with his first singles win, a 6-4 7-5 victory at 6 singles. Freshman Emerson Hendricks (Ripon, Wis., Ripon HS) earned the most impressive win of the meet, coming back after dropping the second set to clutch out a 15-13 super tiebreak win with a perfectly timed serve-volley. The two freshmen wins would stand as the Red Hawks sole singles victories of the day, and the team would fall 3-4 to the Seahawks. 

Ripon tennis returns to action back in the midwest next weekend, taking on Northwestern (MN) and Buena Vista in a double header on Mar 28.