The good times keep rolling for Panther volleyball.
After winning their first seven matches of the season, on the week of Sept. 5 Franklin faced their toughest test yet, with a trip to North Henderson and a home date with Smoky Mountain. In losing just one set between the two, Bekah Brooks’ team surpassed North for sole possession of first place in the Mountain Seven Conference.
Both entering the contest with 3-0 conference records, North and Franklin looked evenly matched in the early goings, sitting tied at 9 after two points apiece from Panther juniors Kyrah Bowles and Ryan Green. Down 19-18 following three kills from Cali Queen, Franklin seemed poised for a photo finish to the set, but lost the next four points and dropped the first game 25-20.
Queen and Green stayed hot into the second set, with two points from Green and three from Queen putting Franklin up 13-10. The game remained neck-and-neck for the next several points, with both teams sitting tied at 19 following two more kills from Queen and two points from fellow junior Aubrey Haley. This time, the Panthers stood tall in the clutch however, taking the set 25-23 on a huge match-point kill from Bowles.
The Knights returned the favor to start the third, jumping out to a 10-6 lead despite two points from Panther senior Talley Kinsland. Franklin quickly righted the ship however, tying the set at 11 behind two Green points and playing excellent defense across the court. From there the game’s result hung on a knife-edge, until another Bowles kill sealed a razor-thin 27-25 win.
Queen and Green again controlled the first part of the fourth, posting three points apiece to put their team up 11-6. North would claw their way back into the game however, sitting tied at 21 despite four more points from Queen. For the third straight set, Franklin played their best in critical moments, getting a save from Bowles and a kill from Haley on match point to cement a 25-23 victory.
“We just came in thinking, ‘We’re gonna win. We can do this,’” said Queen, who perhaps has been Franklin’s most clutch player in the biggest moments. “We just stayed with that mentality throughout the four sets that we played. We kind of let down a little in the first set, but we just kept going. It was a tough game; North is really good, but I think we outplayed them as a team.”
After their huge win over North, taking sole possession of first place in the Mountain Seven at 4-0, on Thursday, Sept. 7 the team returned to Franklin to host Smoky Mountain. There, they jumped out to an early first-set lead, doubling up the Mustangs 12-6 behind four Green points. The Panthers never truly let Smoky back into the set, claiming victory 25-21 on a Mustang service error.
Smoky regrouped to start the second, tying Franklin at 11 despite an ace and an impressive save from junior Mckayla Sanders. Slowly, the Panthers pulled away however, taking a 22-17 lead to force a late Mustang timeout. Senior Jocelyn Rios then closed out the set for Franklin, earning the final two points from the serving area for a 25-17 win.
The Panthers’ momentum carried into the third set, turning three points from Queen into an early 12-6 lead to force another Mustang timeout. Queen stayed hot through the next several points, posting six more points to put her team up 23-18. Franklin would win 25-21 to cement the 3-0 victory.
“I’m feeling good. I think our team did good together,” said Queen of the home victory over their archrivals. “We were a little off tonight, but I think we can do better next week if we work hard. It looked good today, and I’m really excited for the rest of the season.”
After Mountain Seven victories over North and Smoky, the Panthers improved to 9-0 overall and 5-0 in the conference, one game ahead of the 4-1 Knights. Franklin continued their Mountain Seven schedule against West Henderson Sept. 12.