Patience and persistence have paid off for the sophomore outside hitter, and her team is reaping the benefits.

Last week, the Indians (12-0, 26-4 overall) put the finishing touches on another perfect run in the highly-competitive Trans Valley League, and the 5-foot-10 Malone played a big part in it. The three-time reigning champions defeated Escalon on senior night last Tuesday, Oct. 21, then swept Hilmar in the regular-season finale on Thursday.

Malone showed her all-around abilities in the 23-25, 25-12, 25-16, 25-9 win over Escalon, firing 14 kills and a match-high 20 service points to go with seven aces. She was also the co-leader in digs with 14.

Two nights later, Malone produced 10 kills, four aces and six digs, as Ripon downed Hilmar, 25-21, 25-19, 25-19.

Malone’s emergence has been key for Ripon this season after the team graduated important players from its Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV championship team. Malone was along for the ride, but played sparingly as the lone freshman on the varsity squad.

Now, the Indians are up in Division III as the No. 1 seed, and Malone is helping senior standout Adriana Dorn steer the ship.

“Honestly, last year was really hard sitting as a freshman,” she said. “I was happy to be on the team and gain experience, but obviously, as a competitor, you want to play more. Now, I look back on that time as being so important to my development as a player.

“This season, my role is obviously much bigger, and I think a lot of the success I have had is because I had the season last year to learn from Coach (Gregory) Soliz and the rest of the team. There’s no way I would feel as comfortable out there with this group had I not had that experience, and I am grateful for that.”

Malone is the Indians’ second-leading attacker on the season with 269 kills, 3.2 per set. She has also received a team-high 349 serves, while racking up 37 aces and 154 digs.

“She did a great job; it wasn’t easy for her last year,” Soliz said. “We brought her up as a freshman and she didn’t play much, but we kept telling her that the experience she was going to get was going to be invaluable, and you really see that paying off this year, as she is one of our biggest contributors and has been all season.

“Those long practices as a freshman and waiting her turn and continuing to improve is a big reason why we have had so much success so far this season”

Ripon hosts eight-seeded Oakdale in the quarterfinal round Thursday.