Franciscan 0, Westminster 3

Franciscan Starters 
Gracie Francis, Mary Jean Cadman, Rani Hebert, Grace Wallace, Gabrielle Disselkamp, Annelise Davis, & libero - Sara Moore   

How It Happened 
Franciscan Women's Volleyball kicked off the 2023 season at Saint Vincent as part of the Bearcat Challenge, as they took on Westminster in a non-conference matchup on Friday night. 

In set one, Rani Hebert would get the first point of the season with a kill on a set from Grace Wallace. The Barons would build a lead of 10-6 thanks to a 4-1 run in the early going of this set. The Titans would respond to tie it back up at 11-11. The Titans would pull away late with an 8-3 run over the final stretch to take the opening set at 25-18. The second set would be back and forth as well, as the score would be tied up at 16-16. The Titans offense would heat up again with several clutch kills to put set two away by a score of 25-19. 

Westminster jumped out to a 7-1 lead to start set three, but the Barons battled back with a lot of heart. A Franciscan 6-0 run that included two kills from Gracie Francis tightened this one up at 16-14. The Barons would not be able to fully overcome the deficit, as they fell 25-19 in the final set. 

Inside the Numbers 
- Rani Hebert led the team with eight kills and 13 digs.
- Franciscan had four saves compared to just two from Westminster.
- Grace Wallace had 15 set assists.

Who's Next? 
Franciscan will have a pair of games on Saturday at Saint Vincent. They first take on Galludet at 11:00 a.m.. This will be their first of two matchups against them this season, and it will be the first two times that they have played each other in school history. Then at 1:00 p.m. they will take on Penn State Altoona. The Barons are 5-10 all-time against the Lions. This will be the first time that they play each other in a non-conference matchup, as they both used to compete in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC). Franciscan is looking to snap a five-game skid against them with a win on Saturday.

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