Franklin, Ind. - The Franklin College volleyball team battled Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) co-leader Hanover College in four competitive sets in a 3-1 loss (25-23, 25-21, 23-25, 24-26) on Wednesday evening inside the Spurlock Center.

The Grizzlies relied on a strong hitting performance with a .230 percentage and 14 total blocks.

A kill from junior Amanda Lelivelt brought the Grizzlies within one point, 22-21, late in the opening set. However, Hanover (19-7, 5-0 HCAC) won three of the final five points to take a 1-0 lead in the match.

In the second set, a kill from freshman Kennedy Surface trimmed the deficit to 18-17 past the midway point of the frame. A block from Lelivelt squared the set at 19 points apiece before another late push from the Panthers.

Franklin (12-11, 2-5 HCAC) forced a fourth set with a strong finish during the third frame. A block gave the Grizzlies a 24-21 advantage. Hanover saved two set points, but were unable to get a third set point.

Hanover held a 23-17 lead in the fourth set before a 7-1 Franklin run. A kill from freshman Jenna Spini brought the Grizzlies within three points, 23-20. Hanover won the final two points of the match to secure the victory.

Lelivelt led Franklin's strong offensive attack with 15 kills compared to two hitting errors. She posted a .481 hitting percentage in the match. Surface added 13 kills and one error for Franklin. Junior Brooke Harvey recorded 11 kills and a .233 hitting percentage in the contest.

Senior Ashley Bazier had 31 assists, while freshman Nico Morris registered a double-double with 21 assists and 10 digs.

Sophomore Libby Stahl led Franklin with 30 digs, while Suface chipped in 15 digs. Senior Sarah Labra had 10 digs defensively in the match.

Sophomore Sydney Stuckwisch recorded one block and had a .333 hitting percentage behind five kills.

Franklin returns to action on Friday, October 21 at 2 p.m. when it travels to Mount St. Joseph University in Cincinnati, Ohio.