With just six matches to play, Panther volleyball ranks among the 3A West’s best teams.
Having started the season with a 12-1 record, Franklin faced a busy week of Sept. 16, with home matches versus Hayesville, East Henderson and Tuscola. With three wins including the short-lived return of their injured All-Conference senior, they ended the week in second place in the Mountain Seven Conference and fifth regionwide.
On Monday, Sept. 16 the Panthers welcomed Hayesville to Tom Raby Court, in a rematch of their hard-fought win over the Yellow Jackets Aug. 19. Entering the match with an 8-3 record and an upperclassman-heavy roster, Hayesville entered the match as one of the top teams west of Asheville.
The Jackets shot out of the gate to start the match, winning seven of the first 10 points despite two from Panther senior Ryan Green. From there Franklin slowly clawed their way back, cutting their deficit to 22-21 led by Kyrah Bowles. Hayesville won the last three points however, claiming the set 25-21.
Both teams looked evenly matched again in the second, with Franklin leading just 10-8 thanks to two kills apiece from Green, Bowles and Danni Ledford. This time the Panthers pulled away from the Jackets, getting three straight kills and tough defense from Ledford en route to a 25-20 win.
Hayesville regrouped to start the third, tying Franklin 12-12 despite three more kills from Ledford. Once again the Panthers pulled away however, turning four straight points from Green into a 25-18 win.
Hayesville pulled out all the stops for the fourth, leading 15-12 despite a strong set from McKenna Plemmons. Following a Franklin timeout the Panthers regrouped, getting two kills apiece from Green, Ledford and Ella Raby to win 25-22.
The next night the team returned to Tom Raby Court to host East Henderson. In a rematch of their conference win over East Aug. 22, Franklin started the game with a unique lineup, featuring two-time All-Conference senior Cali Queen. After tearing her ACL, MCL and meniscus versus Murphy Aug. 15, Queen was initially thought to be done for the season, but returned to the court, knee brace and all, for one final match before undergoing surgery the next day.
East seemed out for revenge from their earlier blowout loss in the first, tying Franklin 11-11 despite four kills from Green, three from Bowles and a few well-placed passes from Queen. From there the two seniors pulled Franklin ahead, adding three more kills apiece to win 25-16.
The Panthers kept their foot on the gas in the second, turning three straight kills from Ledford into a 10-4 lead. They then won nine straight points including two aces from McKayla Sanders to rout East 25-9.
Bowles followed Sanders’ lead from the service area to start the third, posting five straight aces to put her team up 8-2. Unable to treat fans to her usual high-flying kills and blocks, Queen continued to find ways to help her team win, posting another ace to send the home crowd into a frenzy. Sanders then added two of her own to win 25-16.
“It felt amazing. I was so happy tonight,” said Queen after the win. “I told Coach Bekah [about] my surgery, because Senior Night is Oct. 1 and I’ll be on crutches. I’ll most likely not get to play on Senior Night, so she was like, ‘Let’s play before your surgery.’ … I was so nervous – I just didn’t want to mess up. It wasn’t really my knee I was worried about, it was just shanking it or something.”
“She had one practice since it happened, so I thought she did [great],” said head coach Bekah Brooks.
Except for Wednesday’s uncontroversial win over East, Queen’s injury robs Franklin of its best all-around female athlete, dealing a major blow to both its volleyball and basketball teams this year. Having drawn attention from college volleyball coaches before her injury, the senior said she hasn’t given up hope of playing again next year.
“I was hoping to get back for club season, but that’s not not really likely right now,” said Queen of her plans this spring. “But other than that I’ll still be in the gym all the time and still be [considering] college.”
Two nights later the Panthers returned to Tom Raby Court for another conference match with Tuscola. In a rematch of their 3-0 win over the Mountaineers Aug. 27, Franklin again looked like the better team, winning the first five points including two aces from Emma Ledford. Green racked up six kills in the set for a 25-12 win.
Franklin’s back row looked sharp in the second, getting aces and tough defense from Plemmons, Bowles, Emma Ledford, Bristol Brooks and Sara Crupi. Piper Wittekind added three blocks in the set for a 25-11 win.
Tuscola regrouped to start the third set, tying Franklin 9-9 despite three kills from Raby. Franklin slowly pulled ahead however, using more strong back-row defense to win 25-19. The 7-1 Panthers continued their conference schedule at third-place (5-2) Pisgah Sept. 24.