WHEATON, Ill. – The Franklin College volleyball team stepped out of conference play on Friday (Sept. 29) night, making the trip west for a meeting with the Wheaton Thunder.
 
The Grizzlies (7-10) saw their win streak snapped at two matches, with the Thunder (7-5) taking the match in straight sets 25-19, 25-18, 25-17.
 
Set One
The Thunder used an 11-1 run to bust game one open, turning a 5-5 tie into a 16-6 lead. Franklin would fight back to within four at 23-19 but the host's big early run proved too much to overcome as Wheaton took the final two points to close out the set.
 
Set Two
Another big run early in the set put the Thunder in a prime position, as they used an 11-2 run to take a 15-6 lead. Franklin battled to get the second game close at 18-15 but Wheaton put an end to the comeback with a 7-3 run to finish off the set.
 
Set Three
The game stayed close early but the Thunder opened up a sizeable lead with a 5-1 run that made it a 14-8 game. The Grizzlies struggled to string points together throughout the set, and four straight Wheaton points made it 21-14 and made the deficit too large to overcome.
 
Inside the Box Score
-Franklin hit .151 on the night with Wheaton connecting at a .292 clip on the attack.
-McKenzie Schroeder led Franklin with seven kills, followed by six from Hope Moring and five from Trinity Schroeder.
-Brionna Linkel led the Grizzlies with 13 assists.
-Moring paced the back line with 10 digs, followed by nine from Campbell Clark.
-Trinity Schroeder's three blocks led all net-front defenders.
 
Up Next
Franklin faces a tough test in the form of defending conference champion Transylvania in their next match. The Grizzlies will make the trip to Kentucky to face the Pioneers next Friday (Oct. 6) at 7:00 p.m.