RIPON, Wis. – The volleyball team closed out the Ripon Invitational with a first game sweep and a five-set thriller win over host team Ripon.
 
SMU 3, MBU 0
 
It was all Cardinals in the first set. The front line combined for double the amount of kills than Maranatha Baptist with 13. The Cardinals finished the set on a 15-4 run led by four kills from Kali Olson and got two from Brenna Bruchert, Brianna Hanneken, and Grace King to close out a quick first set, 25-11.
 
The Cardinals kept it rolling as their defense only allowed three kills in the second set compared to the Cardinals 16! Kinlee Grattan added two back-to-back aces and assisted on two kills from Bruchert to start a 5-0 run to take a 15-10 lead. To finish the set, Olson had two kills and assisted on a block with Devann Clemens to take set two, 25-12.
 
Looking to sweep Maranatha Baptist, the Cardinals took every lead and extended it. They took a commanding 17-5 lead in the third, Grattan set up multiple outside hitters as a run with Gretchen Bredberg and Alison Wu with two kills each and Olson finishing with three kills. The Cardinals swept the Sabercats in three sets. Grattan and Clemens assisting on 39 of the whopping 42 kills.
 
SMU 3, RIPON 2
 
The Cardinals faced off host team Ripon to finish the Invite. The Cardinals were getting their outside hitters going, even having four more kills than the Red Hawks, but it was the attack errors and service aces that took away any momentum. The Cardinals could not connect on six Red Hawk serves, dropping the first set 17-25.
 
Paige Klug and Rossow each started the second set with a service ace for a 4-1 start for the Cardinals. Ripon immediately responded on an eight-point run. The Cardinals responded setting Bruchert up for four kills and Olson added one as well as assisting on three blocks with Clemens and King, taking a 21-17 lead. In the end, pushing extra points, the Cardinals could not handle the serving as Ripon had three aces within the last five points and taking set two 26-24.
 
Needing to win the next set, the Cardinals started 6-1 after a few early attack errors from the Red Hawks. Both Cardinal setters were serving to multiple different Cardinals for great looks as Bruchert, Olson, and Clemens got the Cardinals to their biggest lead of the game at 10 with a score of 23-13. The Cardinals force a fourth set after winning 25-13.
 
Bruchert started the set early with three kills to put the Cardinals ahead 6-2 in another must win set. Gratton with two back-to-back aces and a Rossow ace forces a Red Hawk timeout as the Cardinals take the large lead, 16-4 as it is a Cardinals 9-0 run with three added kills from Bruchert and another Gratton ace. Everything in favor of the Cardinals, they force a set five winning the fourth set, 25-12
 
In a five-set thriller, the game was all back and forth but the Cardinal had a one point lead each time until the Red Hawks took their first at 8-7. Olson, Bruhcert, and King each recorded a kill but it was the Ripon's offense that forced a Cardinal timeout with the game tied up at 13. A kill from Burchert put the Cardinals ahead at match point as Ripon calls a timeout to ice the server. Ripon ends the game on an attack error allowing the Cardinals to win in five sets, 15-13.
 
Bruchert tallied another career high in kills with 27 in the win over Ripon.
 
The Cardinals finished the weekend 3-1 and move to 8-5 on the season after an undefeated second day.
 
The Cardinals return to action Friday, Sept. 20^th at the UW-La Crosse Invitational against Central College at 7pm.