Ripon got in trouble just once Wednesday night with visiting East Union in non-league girls volleyball action and Kailee Inderbitzin was there to bail the Indians out in a 25-12, 25-9, 25-20 sweep.

After winning the first two sets quite handily, Ripon (12-2) found itself down 16-12 in the third game when Inderbitzin (13 digs, six kills, five aces) toed the service line. Before the Lancers (4-3) would score again Inderbitzin reeled off seven consecutive points behind three aces and the Indians held on for the sweep.

“We were kind of in a slump so I knew going back to serve I had to at least get the first one over,” Inderbitzin said. “And then the team would hopefully take care of the rest.

“Once I got onto a roll I just kind of followed through and it just kind of came to me.”

Ripon’s Katherine Eskes (seven digs) got two of her 14 kills the rest of the way in the third set.

“I was working on my outside hits,” Eskes said. “It was all about maintain control of the ball and working the court.”

Emeri Lane was all over the back court for the Indians with 13 digs.

“My mentality is you miss 100 percent of the balls you don’t go for,” Lane said. “If you go for every ball whether or not you get it up then at least you tried.

“And most of the time you realize that you did get it up and were able to make that play.”

Ripon’s Kaya Whittaker dished out 18 assists. Reagan Wilkerson added 16 assists, 11 kills, five digs and three aces, Katelyn Bogetti had 11 kills and three digs and Lucia Machado-Perez chipped in five digs.   

Despite the slow start in the third set, the Indians did not panic.

“We came out slow in that third set,” Ripon coach Gregory Soliz said. “I told the girls we have to get better at getting out to a better start even though the second game was a quick game. We have to understand that teams are going to fight back.

“I told the girls to make sure and stay under control and take care of the ball and play the game.”

In that third set East Union jumped out to a 7-1 lead behind two aces apiece by Marcella Carrenza and Jatziry Garcia (seven digs, three aces) and the Lancers bumped that lead to 9-2 before the Indians began to chip away.

“The girls were being very consistent at the start of the third game,” East Union coach Michelle Sims said. “Then we had a few passing errors and that kind of opened the door a little bit.

“I was pleased with the rallies and the intensity.”

Kaylee Mejia paced the Lancers with 11 digs. Meritianna Luani added nine digs and a kill, Mariela Navarro had five kills and four blocks, Gisele Velazquez posted seven kills and seven digs and Isabell Rodriguez had four digs.

Junior varsity

Ripon 3, East Union 0

Kennedy Everhart (two aces, three digs), Ayden Brook and Olivia Taylor posted for kills apiece for the Indians in a 25-22, 25-22 win.

Ripon’s Alayna Sprinkle hammered out six aces with Addison Naranjo posting six digs and Kylee Machado had three digs.

Lilly Grove led the way for the Lancers with eight service points, five assists and three aces. Ava Barrera added three kills and two blocks, Bailey Ford chipped in five kills and two aces with contributions from Shebra Rezaya, Gween Baker, Jill Ramirez and Lauren Alegre.

Freshman

Ripon 2, East Union 0

The Indians handled the Lancers 25-10, 25-13.

East Union’s Andi Guibor and Kayle Bruan tallied five service points apiece with three service points each for Addy Saulier and Chantell Ochoa. Jenna Holder and Hannah Morris also contributed for the Lancers.