RIPON, Wis. -- The Ripon volleyball program (1-2, 0-0 MWC) earned a win and a loss after the first day of Ripon College Classic action this Friday, September 4.
The Red Hawks' day opened with a contest against UMAC opponent Martin Luther College (0-1, 0-0 UMAC). The first set would unfold with traded runs; after a five point run on the serve of sophomore
Addi Johnson (Milwaukee, Wis., Wisconsin Lutheran HS), Ripon took a 15-12 lead, only for a six point Martin Luther stretch flipping the score to a 16-20 Red Hawks disadvantage. Battling back down 20-23, libero
Bryn Carlson (Green Lake, Wis., Ripon HS) served two aces to help keep the Red Hawks in the action, until a final trio of kills capped by junior
Makenna Harren (Rosemount, Minn., Rosemount HS) ended the first 27-25.
The second set again saw the two teams go back and forth, even at 20-all, where the Red Hawks would repeat the clutch performance of the first. Another Harren kill put Ripon just two points away from taking the set, and after a fortuitous Knight service error, sophomore
Mattea Jacobson (Saint Croix Falls, Wis., Saint Croix Falls HS) delivered an ace to seal the second 25-22. The third set followed the same trajectory; even again at 20-all, Ripon assembled five consecutive points, with senior
Haylee Kast (Reedsburg, Wis., Reedsburg Area HS) picking up an ace en route to serving out the match 25-20 to capture the first Ripon win of the season. The win also comes as head coach
Madison Schweitzer's first while at the helm of the Red Hawks program.
The second game of the day would get away from the Red Hawks early. The Cobbers would stomp to a 20-7 lead in the first set, bolstered by an even split of strong defending and well placed attacks. Ripon would muster some late set momentum behind the serve of sophomore
Brooklyn Tranberg (Milwaukee, Wis., Wisconsin Lutheran HS) and a pair of Kast kills, but Concordia was still able to close out the opening set 25-16 behind a service ace. The second set reflected the first, with the Cobbers taking a 24-17 lead before Ripon would again find some late set offense and defense, pushing the score to 22-24 on Jacobson's serve. Again, however, Concordia was able to finally deliver the finishing blow, taking the second 25-22.
The final set of the day was Ripon's closest against Concordia, staying even with the visitors late into the set. Tied at 19 a piece, Concordia benefited from a couple serve and return errors, giving the team set points at 24-21. Two kills from Tranberg gave the Red Hawks a look at forcing a fourth, but the Cobbers sealed the match with a final kill, ending the day 25-23.
Ripon returns to action tomorrow, September 5, for day two of the Ripon College Classic. Match times, court assignments, and more can be found
here.
