APPLETON, Wis. -- The first set proved critical Friday as the Lawrence University dropped a 3-1 Midwest Conference decision to Ripon College at Alexander Gymnasium.
    Ripon rallied to win the opening set 29-27 before Lawrence took the second set 25-11. Ripon then took the third set 25-19 and won the match with a 25-14 win in the fourth set.
    Sophia Galassini led Lawrence and all players with a season-high 22 kills with a .246 hitting percentage, and she collected 14 digs. Lawrence's Elizabeth Liebau added 14 kills and hit .387 for the match. Jordan Adamson and Aliana Butler-Gray added six kills apiece for the Vikings.
    Dana Mestey led Lawrence with a match-best 40 assists, and she added a match-high 17 digs. Lawrence libero Kali Pfannerstill picked up 15 digs for the Vikings.
    Lawrence (5-14, 0-5 MWC) trailed 15-14 in the opening set, but the Vikings then rattled off seven consecutive points, three on kills by Galassini, to grab a 21-15 lead. Ripon then scored four of the next five points as Galassini picked up another kill to trim the lead to 22-19. Galassini got another kill to push the lead to 23-19, but Ripon (9-14, 1-4) scored the next three points to cut the lead to 23-22.
    After an Adamson kill gave Lawrence a 24-22 lead, Ripon got two kills from Inesha Wiseman to tie the match at 24-24. The Red Hawks took a 26-25 lead, but a kill from Galassini tied the match at 26-26. After a Lawrence service error, Galassini picked up another kill to tie the match at 27-27. A Ripon kill and a Lawrence attack error gave the Red Hawks the opening set.
    Lawrence led 9-5 in the second set, but then ripped off six consecutive points, two on kills by Liebau, to grab a 15-5 advantage. Lawrence pushed the lead to 21-8 and easily closed out the set to tie the match at 1-1.
    Lawrence fell into a 10-3 hole in the third set, but the Vikings battled back. Lawrence chipped away at the lead and cut the margin to 20-16 before Ripon scored three of the next four points to pull away. The Red Hawks did the same thing in the final set as they grabbed a 13-6 advantage. Lawrence was down 22-10 and got no closer than eight points the rest of the way.
    The Vikings return to action on Oct. 22 when they travel to Monmouth College.