What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.
After a white-hot start to the season, dropping just one out of 34 sets en route to an 11-0 record, on the week of Sept. 9 Panther volleyball faced their toughest stretch yet. Despite falling to second place in the Mountain Seven Conference with a loss to West Henderson, a thrilling win over Rabun Gap-Nacoochee ended Franklin’s week on a high note.
On Monday, Sept. 9 the Panthers traveled to Murphy for their first of three contests in a four-day span. In a rematch of their 3-0 nonconference win Aug. 15, Franklin took care of business once again.
“We started off at Murphy just varsity only, so that [was] kind of a change – we’re used to going in, getting a feel for the gym and playing a little bit later,” said head coach Bekah Brooks of the afternoon match in Cherokee County. “We had to go in and get going; luckily the cold snap from the weekend kept it a little cooler than what it usually is, but we played phenomenal. Everything clicked all together, and I was just super-proud of them. We were able to knock that out pretty quick in three games, which was nice to have kind of an early night at home.”
After dispatching Murphy 25-15, 25-11, 25-11 in the Bulldogs’ notoriously hot gym, the next night the team returned to Tom Raby Court for their toughest test yet. After narrowly losing the Mountain Seven title to Franklin last fall, West Henderson has been the Panthers’ chief rival once again, entering Tuesday’s match with a 4-0 record in-conference.
The Falcons shot out of the gate on Tom Raby Court, winning the first four points and 10 of the first 14 to force a Panther timeout. Despite a late Panther surge led by Ryan Green, Kyrah Bowles, Piper Wittekind and Ella Raby, West’s lead proved too great and the Falcons won 25-16.
Franklin regrouped to begin the second set, sitting down just 9-7 led by two more kills from Raby. West soon pulled away once again however, winning 25-16 despite two points apiece from Bowles and Danni Ledford.
Both teams looked evenly matched to start the third, sitting tied at 11 following three kills from Wittekind. Bowles and Green added two more kills apiece down the stretch, but West ultimately pulled away to win 25-19.
“What we were not prepared for was the speed. We had not seen that speed yet and I knew it was coming, but it’s just hard to mimic that in any game or practice and to adjust to it in those points,” said Brooks of West, who boasts multiple college prospects including University of Georgia commit Emma Bryson. “They meshed well, and I don’t know that they made a mistake, honestly. We did not play well, so on the bright side it makes me feel good going into the next time because I just don’t think that they saw our best shot. We had multiple people that didn’t play a great game, and again – we hadn’t seen that speed; now we have.”
In falling to West Franklin dropped to 5-1 in the Mountain Seven, and were overtaken by the 5-0 Falcons for first place in the conference. But while the defeat stung in the moment, Brooks said it spurred both her and her team to hone their craft even further.
“I went back, and I think I’ve watched the game film six times already … I watched it three times before we practiced, and we literally broke down every single skill,” she said. “We really, really, really dialed in at practice, and Wednesday was probably the best practice we’ve had. Just working on mechanics, working on speed, working on footwork, working on digging – I think I threw my shoulder out four or five times trying to hit balls. We broke down film, we slowed it down, we showed them how we’re slow on our feet and slow to the block and not in the right place at times, and when that happens and when you start losing a little bit we start second-guessing or not talking.”
Following a difficult yet productive practice Wednesday, the next night the team returned to Tom Raby Court for another tough match. Despite having beaten Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School 3-1 in Georgia last fall, Franklin had their hands full with a talented Eagle squad.
The first set started poorly for the Panthers, who were forced to take an early timeout down 10-3. From there Franklin kicked into gear however, winning 10 of the next 12 led by Aubrey Haley and Carrie Holland. Both teams remained neck-and-neck for the next several minutes, energizing the near-standing-room-only crowd.
Tied at 22, McKayla Sanders and McKenna Plemmons turned in Franklin’s play of the night, making back-to-back improbable diving saves to keep the point alive. After a Bristol Brooks shot Rabun Gap failed to return the ball, and Bowles posted kills on the last two points to win the set 25-22.
Sanders continued her trademark defense in the second set, adding to five points from Green to put Franklin up 15-11. Green posted two kills and a combo block in the set’s final three points to win 25-19.
Franklin shot out of the gate in the third, taking a commanding 10-1 lead behind two aces from Emma Ledford. Despite more great defense from Sanders, Ledford, Holland and Haley, Rabun Gap slowly clawed their way back, tying the set at 18 and matching Franklin point-for-point from there.
With both teams tied at 24 the already-intense atmosphere reached a fever pitch, with the would-be victor needing two points in a row. Rabun Gap then hit two bad shots in a row to give Franklin a 26-24 win.
“McKayla Sanders had the freaking game of her life. From Tuesday she was frustrated, and she came in here and dug in,” said Brooks. “She kept [saying], ‘Gimme balls, gimme balls, gimme balls’ – she wanted to be better, and she absolutely shined. … Seeing them pull that out was phenomenal. I mean when I say bodies were on the floor, they refused to quit. [There were] some absolutely miraculous plays, and that is effort. That is not anything skill-wise, that is not talent, that is all 100% effort, and you don’t coach that. They give it or they don’t, and tonight they flat-out gave it.”