North Manchester, Ind. - The Franklin College volleyball team began the 2014 season with a pair of victories at the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Challenge at Manchester University on Friday.

The Grizzlies defeated Olivet College (16-25, 25-23, 25-19, 25-17) before picking up a straight-set triumph over Adrian College (25-14, 27-25, 25-23).

Franklin was the only HCAC school to record a victory in the first day of the challenge between the Midwestern conferences.

Against Olivet, junior Kourtney Settle (Vallonia, Ind./Brownstown Central) led a balanced offensive attack with 10 kills. Classmate Emily Young (Avon, Ind./Avon) and freshman Amanda Lelivelt (Chippewa Falls, Wis./Riverside-Brookfield) each chipped in nine kills.

Sophomore Ashley Bazier (Terre Haute, Ind./Terre Haute South) helped distribute the attack with 35 assists.

Junior Theresa Brown (Indianapolis, Ind./Franklin Central) led the defensive effort with 17 digs against Olivet. Junior Mackenzie Wieneke (Seymour, Ind./Seymour) added 12 digs, while classmate Hope Steel (Indianapolis, Ind./Lutheran) recorded 11 digs.

In the victory over Adrian, Franklin showcased an efficient offensive output with a .323 team hitting percentage. Freshman Brooke Harvey (Clinton, Ind./South Vermillion) had a team-high 11 kills. Settle chipped in with 10 kills, while senior Jordan Finke (Indianapolis, Ind./Lutheran) added nine kills.

Bazier tallied 30 assists and six digs in the nightcap victory.

Defensively, Wieneke led the effort with 15 kills. She ranked among the top 20 NCAA Division III players last season in digs per set. Settle recorded three blocks in the match.

Franklin concludes play in the HCAC-MIAA Challenge at Manchester on Saturday, August 30 against Trine University at 11 a.m. The team also plays Kalamazoo College at 1 p.m.