Panther volleyball is tied for first in the Mountain Eight.
After routing East Henderson in their first conference match, on the week of Aug. 25 Franklin continued their M8 schedule, traveling to face rivals Brevard and Pisgah. With wins over each plus another over Asheville School, the Panthers improved their record to 6-1 overall.
After starting their season with a four-match road trip, on Monday, Aug. 25, Franklin returned for their home opener, a nonconference clash with the Asheville Independent School. Junior Audrey Pressley came out firing to start the match, scoring eight points in the first set including four of its first seven. Six other Panthers added multiple points apiece to cruise to a 25-10 win.
The Blues responded in the second, taking an 11-8 lead despite two kills and a save from Ella Raby. Franklin quickly regrouped however, getting five aces from Bristol Brooks to win 25-12.
Both teams stayed neck-and-neck throughout the third, sitting tied at 17 despite five more points from Pressley. From there the Panthers finally pulled ahead, getting two points at the net from Finley Moffitt to win 25-20.
Having missed the near-entirety of last season due to a vertebra fracture, Pressley has been a revelation for the Panthers, ranking among their most-feared hitters at the net. After playing in just a single match last fall, the junior said she’s glad just to get back on the court.
“I hurt my back in July [2024] and came back at the very end of the season, so probably like October/November-ish,” she said. “[It’s been] very, very fun. It feels good just to play again.”
In leading Franklin to a fourth 3-0 win in their first five matches, Pressley has helped lay the groundwork for a fourth-straight winning season. While this year’s team is heavy in underclassmen, the junior expressed confidence on the team’s chances moving forward.
“I feel like we’ll do good,” she said. “I feel like we play together really well, and our team chemistry is really good.”
The next night the Panthers traveled to Brevard for their first-ever Mountain Eight match with the Blue Devils. Franklin’s rival in the old Mountain Six from 2017-2021, Brevard spent the past four years in the Mountain Foothills Conference before rejoining their former foes in the N.C. High School Athletic Association’s quadrennial realignment earlier this year.
Brevard shot out of the gate in the first, claiming five of the first six points en route to a 13-7 lead. Despite excellent defense from Lass Ward and others throughout the set, Brevard went on to win 25-16.
Both teams traded blows deep into the second, sitting tied at 20 despite six points from Moffitt. Franklin played their best when it mattered most however, winning five of the last seven points to equalize the match.
Momentum passed back and forth in the third, with Franklin leading 9-5 before Brevard went up 16-11. The pendulum ultimately swung back toward Franklin, winning 14 of the last 17 including a beautiful diving one-handed shot from Brooks.
Brevard refused to go quietly to start the fourth, sitting tied at 8 despite more tough defense from Shelby Adams. From there Franklin seemed untouchable however, winning 17 of the last 21 including five apiece from Pressley and Moffitt.
Two nights later the Panthers traveled to Pisgah for their second M8 match of the week. There both teams looked evenly-matched to start the contest, sitting tied at 10 despite two aces from Adams. Slowly the Panthers began to pull ahead, winning 25-21 behind 11 points from Pressley.
The match stayed neck-and-neck into the second, sitting tied at 13 after three more points from Pressley. Once again Franklin slowly pulled away, getting five straight points from Moffitt to win 25-22.
Both sides traded runs back and forth to start the third, with Franklin trailing 11-6 then tying the game at 13. From there they battled to a 25-25 dead heat, but Pisgah claimed the last two points to win the set.
Franklin regrouped to start the third, taking a 17-8 lead behind three points apiece from Pressley, Brooks and Raby. Pisgah then won nine of the next 11, but Franklin held on with three straight points from Emma Hatch to win 25-19.
In beating Brevard and Pisgah, the Panthers improved to 3-0 in the Mountain Eight, where they ended the week tied with West Henderson for first. They hosted Tuscola in their fourth conference match after press time Sept. 2.