RIPON, Wis. -- The Ripon College volleyball team opened its 2026 season and home schedule Tuesday evening, falling to non-conference opponent St. Norbert College, 3-0 (25-21, 25-20, 25-16), at Weiske Gymnasium.
The Red Hawks battled throughout the opening two sets, trailing 25-21 in the first before dropping the second, 25-20. St. Norbert closed out the match with a 25-16 victory in the third set.
Ripon finished the night with 28 kills, led by sophomore Brooklyn Tranberg (Milwaukee, Wis., Wisconsin Lutheran HS) and senior Haylee Kast (Reedsburg, Wis., Reedsburg Area HS) with six kills apiece. Sophomore Addi Johnson (Milwaukee, Wis., Wisconsin Lutheran HS) added five kills, while sophomore Alexis Wieczorek (Crete, Ill., Crete-Monee HS) and junior Makenna Harren (Rosemount, Minn., Rosemount HS) contributed four each.
Sophomore Mattea Jacobson (Saint Croix Falls, Wis., Saint Croix Falls HS) directed the offense with 22 assists, while sophomore Bryn Carlson (Green Lake, Wis., Ripon HS) led the Red Hawks defensively with nine digs. Tranberg added eight digs, while Kast recorded six.
The Green Knights finished with 39 kills and a .255 hitting percentage compared to Ripon's 28 kills and .092 percentage.
Despite the loss, the Red Hawks will have a quick turnaround as they return to action this weekend. Ripon will host the Ripon College Classic, opening the tournament on Friday, Sept 4 at 3pm against Martin Luther College. The Red Hawks will have an opportunity to earn their first victory of the season while competing in front of their home crowd.
