TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The Franklin volleyball team wrapped up their opening weekend on Saturday (Aug. 31) with two more matches at the Saint Mary of the Woods Invitational.
Both matches saw the Grizzlies (0-4) drop five-set heartbreakers with IU-Columbus and Boyce College playing the spoiler.
Game One: IU-Columbus 3 – Franklin 2
25-18, 21-25, 23-25, 25-22, 15-12
Franklin rallied from a set down to take a 2-1 lead in the game with strong showings in the second and third sets, respectively. The Grizzlies put down double digit kills in each of their two set victories, with a match-high 11 coming in game two.
The Grizzlies were in a prime place to put the game away, sitting tied at 22 in game four before three straight errors sent the game to a fifth set. The final set saw IU-Columbus take the final three points in a tied set to claim victory.
Kaitlyn Lavy led the attack with 11 kills, followed by nine from
Hope Moring and eight from
McKenzie Schroeder. Moring handed out 18 assists to 15 from
Brionna Linkel.
Campbell Clark and
Charlotte Goto each had a pair of aces while Linkel's eight digs led the team. Schroeder's three solo blocks were tops among all Franklin players.
Game Two: Boyce 3 – Franklin 2
25-17, 25-19, 14-25, 12-25, 15-11
After dropping the first two sets, Franklin stormed back to force a deciding set with two dominant performances in games three and four. The Grizzlies held Boyce to a negative attacking percentage in each of their two set victories, setting up the pivotal game. But the comeback would end late in the fifth, with Boyce taking five straight points to close out the contest.
Lavy finished with another 11 kill performance and
Trinity Schroeder put together a dominant showing from the front of the net, finishing with 10 kills and a .909 attacking percentage while rejecting seven Boyce attempts. Linkel had 21 assists running the offense and Moring added four aces.
Campbell Clark paced the back line with 10 digs.
Up Next
Franklin is on the road on Wednesday (Sept. 4), traveling to Illinois for a meeting with Eurkea College. First serve is set for 6:00 p.m. eastern time.
