RIPON, Wis. -- The Ripon College volleyball team continued its early-season schedule Saturday, hosting a pair of matches at Weiske Gymnasium. The Red Hawks battled Macalester College in the first match before returning to the court later in the afternoon against Lakeland University, dropping both contests in straight sets.
Ripon opened the day against Macalester, falling 25-16, 25-16 and 25-15. Junior Makenna Harren (Rosemount, Minn., Rosemount HS) provided an efficient presence at the net, recording four kills on 13 attacks without committing an error for a .308 hitting percentage. Sophomore Addi Johnson (Milwaukee, Wis., Wisconsin Lutheran HS) led the Red Hawks with six kills, while sophomores Brooklyn Tranberg (Milwaukee, Wis., Wisconsin Lutheran HS) and Sydney Klein (Burlington, Wis., Waterford Union HS) each contributed four kills. Junior Hannah Michaels (Waukesha, Wis., Waukesha North HS) added two kills and finished with three block assists.
Sophomore Mattea Jacobson (Saint Croix Falls, Wis., Saint Croix Falls HS) helped direct Ripon's offense throughout the opening match, collecting 20 assists while also contributing seven digs and a block assist. Sophomore Bryn Carlson (Green Lake, Wis., Ripon HS) anchored the defensive effort with a team-high 14 digs, while Johnson added nine digs and Michaels and Harren each recorded two digs.
Senior Haylee Kast (Reedsburg, Wis., Reedsburg Area HS) also made an impact for the Red Hawks, finishing with five kills and two digs. Klein added five kills on 14 attacks, while Harren recorded two block assists. As a team, Ripon finished with 25 kills and 49 digs against Macalester.
The Red Hawks continued the day against Lakeland, falling 25-5, 25-11 and 25-15. Kast again led Ripon's attack, recording five kills on 18 attempts. Johnson added one kill, while Tranberg, Michaels and Harren each contributed kills as Ripon worked to find its rhythm against the Lakeland defense.
Jacobson once again handled the majority of the setting duties, finishing with seven assists and eight digs. Carlson added five digs, while Tranberg recorded a block assist. Michaels contributed two kills and two block assists, and Harren added one kill.
Ripon showed improvement as the match progressed, recording nine kills in the third set after totaling just five across the first two. The Red Hawks also limited their attack errors to five in the final set, finishing the afternoon with 14 kills and 22 digs.
Following Saturday's two matches, Ripon moves to 1-4 overall on the season. The Red Hawks will return to action Friday, Sept 11, traveling to St. Norbert College for an 8pm matchup against Westminster College (MO).
