WASHINGTON, D.C.- The (RV) Franklin & Marshall volleyball team (11-2) split the final day of the Worthington Classic, falling in four sets to No. 18 Hope before sweeping Mount Union. The day was highlighted by Coco Shultz becoming the Diplomats' 21st player in program history to reach 1,000 career points.

Match One (vs. #18 Hope)

The Diplomats won the first set before No. 18 Hope claimed the next three (25-19, 15-25, 26-28, 23-25) for F&M's second loss of the season. 

Melissa Benkowitz led the attack with 17 kills and .286 hitting percentage with 11 digs and two aces. Carly Campbell recorded 37 assists across the four sets with 14 digs, five kills, one solo block, and one block assist. Ceci Connolly posted 13 kills with a .250 hitting percentage, one solo block, two block assists, and four digs. Shultz posted 13 digs, while Abby Silinski had 12 digs. 

The teams traded serves up to a 4-4 tie. Each team then went on three-point runs that gave the Flying Dutch a one-point advantage. F&M followed this with an eight-point run for a 14-7 lead F&M maintained ntering the end of the set, 22-12. Hope rallied with seven of the next eight points, including six kills and a block, to close the lead to 23-19. The Diplomats were able to close out the set on a Benkowitz kill and solo block from Campbell. 

Hope hit a match-best .433 in their 25-15 second-set win. They earned an early 5-1 lead that they held up to 10-6. At this point, they pulled away with seven unanswered points that included three aces and three kills. The teams traded serves the rest of the way up to the Flying Dutch winning the set at 25-15. 

Set three saw 14 ties and four lead changes before Hope won the set at 28-26. The biggest lead in the early part of the set saw Hope ahead by a 6-3 scoreline via a three-point run. A 3-0 run from F&M tied things up at 9-9, while the teams traded points up to Hope leading, 11-10. At this point, F&M took control of the set with five-straight points, including two aces from Emily Dean. A later 4-0 run from the Flying Dutch put them back in control, 18-17. The sides continued the battle, with F&M using a 4-1 run with two Benkowitz kills to reach set point at 25-24. Hope fought off set point followed by the Diplomats getting another chance to win the game thanks to a setting error. This time, Hope strung together three-straight kills to win, 28-26. 

The Diplomats earned an early 9-5 lead in the third set, but Hope later took control of the set during a run where they scored nine of ten points to lead, 14-10. The Diplomats stayed within striking distance entering the end of the set, trailing 23-18. Two kills from Benkowitz and a Connolly-Avery Grantham block narrowed the lead to 23-21, but Hope reached set point on a service error. F&M fought off set point on a Grantham kill and Connolly solo block before Hope closed out the match on a kill.

Match Two (vs. Mount Union)

F&M closed out the day with a .351 performance from the offense, sweeping Mount Union (25-13, 25-19, 25-21). Shultz reached 1,000 career points against the Purple Raiders, posting six kills, a team-best three aces, and 12 digs. 

Mya Anderson was a perfect seven-for-seven on her attack attempts with three solo blocks, while Connolly led the team with 14 kills on a .542 hitting percentage with a solo block and two block assists. Campbell averaged 12.67 assists per set, totaling 38 assists while hitting .667 with four kills and nine digs. Silinski provided 16 digs. Paula Elguera hit .400 with seven kills, two aces, and two block assists. 

F&M hit .500 with just one attack error while holding Mount Union to a -.033 hitting percentage in the first set, winning 25-13. The Diplomats efficiently built a comfortable lead, opening the set with seven of the first eight points, including a kill and ace from Elguera. Mount Union called a timeout and was able to maintain the gap following the break, keeping the margin at 13-8. At this point, a 5-1 Diplomats run that included three Connolly kills put F&M's lead up to 18-9. The Purple Raiders stalled the run with two points before F&M closed out the first game on a 7-2 run, confirming the set on a kill from Shultz.

Set two saw both teams hit over .300 with just two combined attack errors in the second set.  The teams dueled to begin the second set, tying five times by the time they reached a 5-5 scoreline. Tied again at 8-8, F&M posted four-straight points for a 12-8 lead, forcing a timeout from the Purple Raiders. Mount Union found their footing after the timeout, eventually tying the set again at 16-16. F&M countered with a 5-1 run to lead 21-17 and induce a second timeout from their opponents. Mount Union scored the next two points before F&M closed out the set on four-straight points at 25-19.

With Shultz at the service line, F&M scored the first four points of set three, including two aces from Shultz. Mount Union responded with three points of their own, and the teams went back-and-forth several times, with F&M maintaining a 7-6 lead.  The Diplomats built out a 13-9 lead that was soon followed by three-point runs from each team, putting the advantage at 17-13. Ahead 21-19, the Purple Raiders tied things up for the first time in the set on a service error and kill at 21-21. F&M was able to secure a sweep, scoring the last four points on an Anderson-Connolly block, Anderson kill, Dean ace, and Benkowitz kill. 

Up Next

The Diplomats host No. 4 Juniata on Thursday, September 25, at 7:00 p.m.