The Beloit College volleyball team took an early lead but eventually dropped a close five-setter to Ripon College in the squad's 2021 finale Saturday morning. 

The Buccaneers took a two-set lead in the match topping the Red Hawks 25-20 and 25-23 before Ripon came roaring back to win the next three 25-18, 25-20 and 15-10. 

Ripon jumped out to a 7-1 advantage in the first set but the Bucs were just getting going. A six-point spurt gave Beloit it's first lead of the contest, 13-12. The Bucs would score the five points of the set to secure the victory. 

The teams traded runs throughout set two until a 5-0 series gave the Bucs a 23-20 lead. Ripon tallied the next two to cut the lead to one before Jada Daniel hammered down a kill to make it set point. The Red Hawks captured a point but an attack error on the following rally sealed the win for Beloit. 

The script was flipped in the third set with Beloit taking a lead but Ripon registered a 6-0 run midset to reclaim the advantage they held the rest of the way. Ripon jumped out to an 8-3 lead in set four but the Bucs battled back eventually knotting the game at 12 and again at 16 before a 4-0 spurt for the Red Hawks gave RC a 20-16 lead. Another four-point run gave them set point and the Red Hawks pulled even in the match with a kill. 

Another four-point run early in the decisive fifth gave Ripon the lead they would hold on to the rest of the way. 

Senior Regina Guehlstorf  was the top hitter for Beloit hammering down 13 kills while hitting .294 in the match. She added two blocks and an ace. Katrina Sanchez joined Guehlstorf with double digit kills pounding down 11 in the contest. She made it a double-double with 20 digs and tied for team-high honors with two aces. Abbie Schmidt registered 25 assists in the match adding 12 digs while fellow setter Cora Linos set up the Buc hitters on 12 kills adding 16 digs. 

Libero Komachi Naoe led Beloit defensively in the backcourt with 23 digs. Defensive specialist Jade Mosquera was also quite active in the backcourt digging up 20 Red Hawk attacks.