LANCASTER, Pa.- The (RV) Franklin & Marshall volleyball team (8-1) split its Saturday tri-match, falling in three sets to No. 9 Washington and Lee (10-0, 1-0 ODAC) before sweeping Keystone (0-7).

Match One (vs. Washington and Lee)

The Diplomats stayed in the fight in the first and third sets against the No. 9 Generals before logging their first defeat of the 2025 season (22-25, 15-25, 23-25).

Melissa Benkowitz totaled 13 kills with a .344 hitting percentage with 12 digs, while Ceci Connolly also had 13 kills with a .231 hitting percentage and two block assists. Coco Shultz led the team with 13 digs and ten kills. Carly Campbell and Liah Perez split setting duties fairly evenly with 20 and 19 assists, respectively. 

Both offenses were at their best in the first game, as Washington and Lee hit .333 and the Diplomats posted a .283 hitting percentage. The Generals posted the first five points on two aces and two kills, and they used that run to maintain a modest lead for much of the set. With their lead at 18-14, the Diplomats rallied on a set-tying 4-0 run with a kill from Connolly, two kills from Benkowitz, and an ace from Avery Grantham. After trading serves, the Generals countered with a five-point run that got them to set point. F&M fought off set point three times before a W&L kill earned them the set at 25-22.

F&M went ahead 2-1 on back-to-back Shultz kills early in the second set, but W&L countered with two points of their own to reclaim the lead. The teams would tie three more times in the early moments before a 4-1 stretch put the Generals ahead, 10-7. A later 8-1 run from W&L that featured six errors from F&M put the visitors in control, 19-11. W&L coasted from there, extending their lead to 25-15 at set point. 

The Diplomats controlled the pace early in the third set after claiming an early 2-0 lead. This gave F&M the platform to hold a narrow lead for much of the third set. W&L tied F&M several times before claiming their first lead of the set at 14-13. The Diplomats responded with a 4-1 run that featured two Shultz kills and a Connolly-Grantham block to give F&M a 17-15 advantage. F&M held a 21-18 lead entering the final moments, but W&L found momentum with three-straight points to tie the set again. The teams traded serves up to a 23-23 scoreline. At this point the Generals took advantage of two attacking errors from F&M to confirm the match.

Match Two (vs. Keystone)

F&M never looked back after winning a competitive first set against Keystone, allowing just 17 points across sets two and three in the sweep of the Giants (25-22, 25-6, 25-11).

Benkowitz starred again, hitting .611 with 11 kills, six aces, and six digs. Paula Elguera matched Benkowitz's aces total with five digs, while Jillian Surkis posted six kills with a .385 hitting percentage. Chloe Wiedman led the team with seven digs, while Campbell and Emily Dean each had four aces. 

The Diplomats earned an early 4-2 lead that they held early on in the first set. A Diplomats service error followed by three-consecutive attack errors, including one solo block from the Giants, gave Keystone an 11-9 advantage. F&M responded with four-straight points, but the Giants countered yet again with two points to tie the set at 13-13. Three points from F&M were followed by four points from Keystone this time, including three aces, to give the visitors a 17-16 lead. F&M took the lead for good with a 4-0 run to lead, 20-17, before winning the set at 25-22. 

11 points came via aces in the second set for F&M. Following a 1-1 start, the Diplomats recorded ten-consecutive points with Dean at the service line. She posted four aces during this run. Another 6-0 run that included three-straight aces from Elguera put F&M ahead, 17-2. Benkowitz recorded three aces later on before Surkis ended the set with a kill at 25-6. 

The Diplomats' offense was at its best in the third set, as they hit .368 to close out the day. F&M again pulled out to an early lead, scoring ten of the first 11 points including two kills apiece from Kendall Lee and Srukis plus two aces from Elguera. A 5-0 run with three-straight aces from Campbell pushed the lead to 15-3. Benkowitz posted two kills and two aces in the remaining action,as Surkis yet again finished the set with a kill.

Up Next

The Diplomats make a weekend trek to Washington, D.C. next Friday, September 19, and Saturday, September 20, as they face tournament hosts Gallaudet, Mary Washington, #8 Hope, and Mount Union.