CINCINNATI, Ohio – The #17-ranked Franklin College volleyball team made their first post-season appearance in six seasons on Friday (Feb. 26) night, taking on the #13 Mount St. Joseph Lions in the semifinals of the 2021 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) Tournament.

The Grizzlies (10-6) ran into trouble early and couldn't get into a groove on the offensive end. Franklin battled the host Lions (13-4) until the final point, but saw their season come to an end in straight sets 25-17, 25-22, 25-23.

Game one was all Lions from the outset with the hosts taking a 10-2 lead and never looking back. The Grizzlies closed the gap as close as six points down the stretch but couldn't overcome a Lion attack that hit. 233 in the set. Set two went back-and-forth early on before a 6-1 Mount run put some separation between the teams at 11-6. Franklin clawed back to within 16-14 before another 6-1 Lion run made it an even steeper uphill climb for a comeback. The Grizzlies would fight their way back to get within a point before two straight Lion points ended the comeback bid.

Franklin took their first lead of the night early in the second set with a quick 4-0 run that made it 10-8. But the lead vanished in a hurry as the Lions rattled off five straight points to re-take the lead. The Grizzlies fought back to take a 17-16 lead after a Kyndall Boyll kill but couldn't build on that momentum and the Mount ripped off a 5-1 mini-run to put the Grizzlies in danger. Franklin got within a point late for the second straight set before the Lions finished off the win.

Freshman Chloe Holder led the Grizzlies with nine kills and turned back four Lion attacks on the night. Boyll and Taylor Tatlock had seven kills each and Abby Sewell led FC with three aces and a .235 attacking percentage. Sofia Helton handed out 25 assists with Boyll and Allison Thompson tying for the team lead with 15 digs each.

Franklin's spring season ends with the Grizzlies collecting seven league wins for the first time since 2002. Friday night's match was the final for Franklin's senior class of Boyll, Sewell, Maria Hasnerl and Mackenzie Waldran.