FRANKLIN – The Franklin volleyball team returned to action in the Spurlock Center on Tuesday (Oct. 17) afternoon, welcoming the Manchester Spartans to town for a critical conference meeting.
 
The Grizzlies (7-14, 1-3 HCAC) opened the match by winning the first set but couldn't capitalize on their fast start, falling to the Spartans (13-7, 3-1 HCAC) in four sets, 19-25, 25-18, 25-21, 25-20.
 
How it Happened
The opening set was dominated by the Franklin attack, with the Grizzlies putting away 16 kills and hitting .310 in the set. The pivotal stretch in the opening game saw Manchester cut a 16-9 Franklin lead down to two points, but the home side responded to the run with a 6-2 run of their own to make it 22-16 and put the opening game out of reach.
 
But the Spartans responded with three straight set wins, using one game-changing run in each of the final three games to put the match away.
 
Inside the Box Score
-Franklin finished the night hitting .164 to .181 on the attack for the Spartans.
-Miranda Wilson finished the night with 14 kills, tying with Hope Moring who picked up a double-double with 14 kills and a team-high 17 digs.
-Campbell Clark picked up 15 digs from the libero position.
-Brionna Linkel handed out 19 assists with Sofia Helton adding 14 helpers.
-Chloe Holder's four blocks led all of Franklin's net-front defenders.
 
Up Next
The Grizzlies hit the road for their next two matches, with the first coming on Saturday (Oct. 21) at Mount St. Joseph. First serve is set for 1:00 p.m.