Panther volleyball is on a six-match win streak.
On the week of Sept. 22 Franklin faced a busy schedule, playing three matches in four days including two in the Mountain Eight Conference. With wins in all three they improved their record to 19-2, with just four matches remaining this regular season.
On Monday night the Panthers traveled to Murphy for a nonconference match with the Bulldogs. There the Panthers dominated to start the first set, winning 16 of the first 18 points including four from Bristol Brooks. From there Murphy suddenly kicked into gear, but was too late to stave off a 25-17 loss.
The Bulldogs regrouped to start the second, sitting tied at nine despite two points from Emma Hatch. From there Franklin slowly pulled ahead however, winning 25-15 behind six points from Audrey Pressley.
The Panthers stayed hot in the third, winning 15 of the first 16 including five from Pressley. This time Murphy posed little threat of a late comeback, going on to lose 25-8.
The next night the Panthers returned home to rehash their 3-1 conference win over the Black Bears Aug. 28. There Pressley came out firing in the first, scoring 13 points in the set. Franklin took an early lead and never looked back, going on to win 25-9.
Pisgah regrouped to start the second, sitting tied at 10 despite two points apiece from four different Panthers. From there Franklin slowly began to pull ahead, getting 13 points from Pressley, Finley Moffitt and Ella Raby to win 25-21.
Franklin was forced to hunker down in the third, dropping six of its first nine points but retaking the lead 16-9. Pressley and Raby posted six points apiece to win the set 25-18.
Two nights later the Panthers traveled to Tuscola to rehash their 3-0 win over the Mountaineers Sept. 2. Franklin controlled the conference rematch early on, winning seven of its first nine points including three from Pressley. Moffitt added four more in a blowout 25-7 win.
Tuscola won the first four points in the second, but Franklin quickly tied the set at five led by three more points from Moffitt. The Panthers were off to the races from there, getting three straight aces from Shelby Adams to win 25-11.
Franklin kept rolling into the third, winning its first six points including three from Brooks. Moffitt added nine points down the stretch to win 25-15.
The victory improved Franklin’s conference record to 10-1, where they ended the week in second place just behind 10-0 West Henderson. After falling to the Falcons 3-1 in Hendersonville Sept. 10, the Panthers will host West Oct. 6 for both teams’ regular-season finale.