LANCASTER, Pa.- The Franklin & Marshall volleyball team (15-3, 3-0 Centennial Conference) emerged with a win from Wednesday's five-set showdown against Gettysburg (12-8, 1-2 Centennial Conference), bouncing back from a 2-1 deficit to win the last two sets.

Ceci Connolly set a new career-high with 21 kills with a .271 hitting percentage and three block assists, while Avery Grantham had a season-best 13 kills with a .480 hitting percentage. Carly Campbell and Liah Perez eventually split setting duties, as Campbell totaled 29 and Perez reached 28. The duo also had three service aces and double figures for digs, respectively. Coco Shultz recorded 11 kills and 11 digs, while Melissa Benkowitz posted a team-best 18 digs and nine kills. Abby Silinski had 14 digs. Mya Anderson posted six kills and three total blocks.

The Bullets drew a 7-3 advantage to open the first set, making use of early attack errors from the Diplomats. F&M swiftly closed the gap with a 5-0 run, making use of errors from the Bullets, to lead, 8-7. The teams traded points over the next phase of the set up to F&M leading, 13-11. At this point, the Bullets reclaimed control with seven of the next nine points to lead, 18-15. The Diplomats rallied back again with an 8-2 run to get to 23-20. F&M traded points to the end of the set, winning on an Anderson kill at 25-22. Both offenses struggled in the first set, combining for 19 attack errors. 

Gettysburg scored the first seven points of the second set, as F&M struggled to four attack errors during this run. The Diplomats maintained pace, consistently reducing the deficit to 15-11. The Bullets bought some space with three-points, but F&M countered with four points of their own. Gettysburg scored two more points followed by a 4-0 Diplomats run to get F&M back within one point at 20-19. The Bullets stalled the rally with a 4-0 run to reach set point. F&M fought off set point three times before dropping the set at 25-22. 

The Bullets offense was at its best in the third set with a .286 hitting percentage, as Gettysburg earned a 2-1 lead in the match. The Bullets earned an early 3-1 lead, while F&M countered with a 3-0 run setting up a sequence of the teams trading serves. Tied at 7-7, the Diplomats scored another three-straight points, giving them a modest lead they maintained in the middle of the set. The Bullets eventually tied the set at 17-17, beginning a six-point run that eventually guided them to set point at 24-19. Like set two, F&M fought off three set points before dropping the game at 25-22. 

The Bullets earned a 5-2 lead to begin the second set, but the Diplomats drew level with three-straight points. Gettysburg responded with their own three-point run and they maintained a small lead for the next portion of the set. Behind 15-13, F&M took complete control of the set with a 10-1 run that featured four kills from Grantham. Ahead at 23-16, F&M coasted to the finish, winning 25-19 on a kill from Shultz. 

The Diplomats swiftly took command of set five, scoring the first four points on a Connolly kill, Connolly-Claire Kelly block, Shultz kill, and Perez ace. F&M reached the side change with a 7-4 lead, and they eventually closed out the set with the last five points with a set-point kill from Shultz. F&M hit .360 in the final set.

Prior to the match, Shultz was recognized for reaching 1,000 career points earlier this season with a ball commemorating the occasion. 

The Diplomats host No. 8 Johns Hopkins this Saturday, October 18, at 1:00 p.m.