RIPON, Wis. – The Illinois College volleyball team fell behind a set on Saturday, but rallied back in a big way to take down Ripon College, 3-1 (26-28, 25-18, 25-18, 25-21), to earn a vital win in Midwest Conference play. The Lady Blues improve to 14-4 (3-1 MWC) on the year and remain in a tie for second place in the conference.
The first set was an absolute seesaw battle throughout that featured 13 ties and six lead changes. The largest lead for both sides in the set was three points, but after Ripon fought off a set point with Illinois College ahead, 25-24, the Red Hawks were able to break a 26-26 tie with two straight points to take a 1-0 lead in the match.
Riding that early momentum, Ripon took a 9-3 lead in the second set before the Lady Blues began to turn it on.
Maddie Ramsey had a kill and a solo block as part of a four-point run to make it 9-7. Later on,
Madison Klanke and
Rebecca Shields each had a kill and a block during another four-point run to pull within 13-12. In total, IC scored four points in a row on five occasions in the set, the last of which featured two kills from Ramsey and made it 24-17. A Ripon attack error closed it out two points later, tying the match at 1-1.
Now it was Illinois College riding a wave of momentum and the Lady Blues quickly went up 11-2 in the third set behind four kills from
MacKenzie Heinz. The Red Hawks wouldn't totally go away in the set and got as close as four points, 17-13, midway through. That's when Ramsey took over for IC. The junior had a run of five straight points with either a kill or a block to put the set out of reach and a kill from
Brenna Dameris ended it to give the Lady Blues a 2-1 edge.
The fourth set was close much of the way, but a Red Hawk attack error gave Illinois College the lead for good at 17-16.
Ali Pankey followed with a kill and
Madie Budd then served up an ace to make it 19-16. Ripon used a timeout and was able to get back to within two points, but at the end of the match, a Dameris kill and
Brooke Brandis ace clinched it for IC.
Ramsey led the Lady Blues with 15 kills on the afternoon. Pankey had a double-double with 12 kills and a match-high 24 digs, while Heinz and Dameris each added 10 kills apiece.
Elizabeth Ganley had yet another big day on both sides of the ball, dishing out 50 assists along with 12 digs. Brandis added 14 digs from the back line.
Illinois College returns home to Sherman Gymnasium on Oct. 9 to face Monmouth College. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.
