WESTMINSTER, Md.- The Franklin & Marshall volleyball team (14-3, 2-0 Centennial Conference) earned their second Centennial Conference victory, winning in straight sets (25-15, 25,20, 25-17) against McDaniel (8-8, 0-1 Centennial Conference) on Wednesday evening.

Ceci Connolly had a team-best ten kills with a .364 hitting percentage with a solo block and block assist. Liah Perez led the team with both five aces and 17 assists, while Carly Campbell returned from injury with 14 assists and five digs. Coco Shultz registered nine kills with a .300 hitting percentage, three aces, and eight digs, while Melissa Benkowitz posted seven kills, three aces, and seven digs. Mya Anderson was a perfect four-for-four on her swing attempts.

The teams traded points up to a 6-6 tie to begin the first set, while McDaniel claimed the next two points on a block and ace. The Diplomats claimed the lead with six of the next seven points, making use of four attack errors from McDaniel to lead 12-9. The teams traded serves a couple of times before F&M pulled away with a 5-0 run that included two aces and a kill from Benkowitz. Behind 18-11, McDaniel stalled the run, scoring four of the next six points to keep the margin at 20-15. From there, The Diplomats efficiently closed out the set with the final five points, including a kill from Avery Grantham, three-consecutive aces from Perez, and a set-ending kill from Benkowitz.

F&M began set two with five more points that included two more aces from Perez. McDaniel cut into the lead with three-straight points, but this was followed by three kills from the Diplomats to keep the lead at 8-3. The teams traded serves once before McDaniel closed the lead to 9-7 with three-straight points. This was followed by a 3-0 run from each team, as F&M maintained a 12-10 advantage. Franklin & Marshall bought breathing room with five-consecutive points for a 17-10 lead. Ahead 21-13, the Diplomats faced late resistance via a 5-1 stretch from McDaniel that reduced their lead to 22-18. F&M was able to traded serves the rest of the way, winning the set at 25-20 on a kill from Benkowitz. 

F&M faced an early deficit in the third game, conceding a 3-1 lead via a six-point run from McDaniel, putting the Diplomats behind, 7-3. F&M efficiently closed the margin, earning seven of the next nine points to tie the set at 9-9. Tied again at 11-11, F&M began an eight-point run with two kills from Connolly and two aces from Shultz for a 19-11 lead. F&M closed the match at 25-17 with a kill from Claire Kelly. 

The Diplomats return in a week's time to host Gettysburg on Saturday, October 18, at 7:00 p.m.