GRINNELL, Iowa – Grinnell College's volleyball team kicked off Midwest Conference play on the right foot Saturday, sweeping past Ripon College by three 25-20 scores at Darby Gymnasium.
 
Kaylin Kuhn '21 had 19 kills, the 10th-most at Grinnell in a three-set match, and 18 digs. Hannah Taylor '21 added 10 kills, Julianna Roth '22 30 assists and Madison Smith '20 four aces. Grinnell had four players in double-digit digs, with Kuhn tallying 18, Smith 16, Payton Lowrey '22 13 and Roth 10.
 
Grinnell led just 22-20 near the end of the first set, but Taylor had a kill and Smith served two points for the win. In the second set, the Pioneers used a critical 3-0 run to turn a 17-16 deficit into a 19-16 lead. Lowrey had a kill in that span and Kuhn a service ace. Grinnell continued to cruise for the win. The third set saw Grinnell use a run to turn an 11-10 lead into a 19-13 cushion as the Pioneers closed out the win.
 
The Pioneers later played Central College, falling 25-22, 25-16 and 25-21. Kuhn had 13 kills, Roth 23 assists, Lowrey 16 digs and Kuhn 10 digs. Grinnell rallied to tie the first set at 21-all and 22-all before the Dutch scored three points to win. Central used a 10-1 run midway through the second set to pull away, and trailed much of the third before going on a 6-2 run to close out the victory.
 
The 10-11 Pioneers head to Galesburg, Ill., on Tuesday to face Knox College in a MWC contest. Action begins at 7 p.m.