DUBUQUE, Iowa -- The Ripon College volleyball team fell to Loras College in three sets Tuesday evening, 25-18, 26-24, 25-18, at the Lillis Athletic and Wellness Center.
Ripon battled throughout the opening set, staying within striking distance before Loras pulled away late. The Red Hawks recorded 10 kills in the first set, with sophomore Addi Johnson (Milwaukee, Wis., Wisconsin Lutheran HS) leading the way with four kills.
The second set was the closest of the night, as Ripon pushed the Duhawks to extra points. Johnson continued to provide an offensive spark, adding five kills in the set, while senior Haylee Kast (Reedsburg, Wis., Reedsburg Area HS) and junior Makenna Harren (Rosemount, Minn., Rosemount HS) each contributed two kills. Ripon ultimately came up just short, 26-24.
Johnson finished the night with a team-high 11 kills on 36 attacks, while Kast added five kills. Sophomore Brooklyn Tranberg (Milwaukee, Wis., Wisconsin Lutheran HS) and Harren each recorded three kills, with Harren also contributing a pair of blocks. Junior Hannah Michaels (Waukesha, Wis., Waukesha North HS) posted two blocks and one kill, while sophomore Mattea Jacobson (Saint Croix Falls, Wis., Saint Croix Falls HS) added one kill.
Defensively, sophomore Bryn Carlson (Green Lake, Wis., Ripon HS) led the Red Hawks with 23 digs, marking a team-high for the match. Kast and Tranberg each added eight digs, while freshman Carli Murphy (East Troy, Wis., East Troy HS) contributed seven. Jacobson finished with six digs and led Ripon with 20 assists.
Ripon totaled 64 digs as a team and recorded 24 assists and three service aces. The Red Hawks also collected seven blocks, with Michaels and Harren each recording two total blocks.
With the loss, Ripon falls to 1-8 overall on the season.
The Red Hawks will return home Saturday, Sept 19, for the Red Hawks Invitational. Ripon will open the tournament at 3pm against Wisconsin Lutheran at the Willmore Center.
