Franciscan 2, Hollins 3

Franciscan Starters 
Elizabeth Luebbers, Grace Wallace, Mary Jean Cadman, Clare Karr, Tessa Miller, Meghan Hickey & libero - Sara Moore 

How It Happened 
Franciscan Women's Volleyball kicked off the 2024 season against an opponent that they have never played before in Hollins University. This would be the first game for each team, as they took the court in Latrobe on the campus of Saint Vincent in the Bearcat Challenge Tournament, and it would be a five-set battle.

Elizabeth Luebbers would get the season started with a kill to give the Barons a 1-0 lead. The Barons would get into a slight deficit, but then a pair of 5-0 runs would give the Barons a convincing 13-6 lead. Hollins would tighten it back up to five points at 21-16, but the Barons would end on a 4-0 run to take the opening set. 

The second set would belong to Hollins, as they jumped out to a 16-7 lead. The Barons would not be as sharp in this set, as Hollins would win 25-15.

The Barons would respond in the third, as Angela Sweeney had three early kills to regain some momentum. The Barons would run the lead up to six at 18-12 after a Mary Smart service ace. Hollins would answer with a pair of 5-0 runs and take the lead at 21-20. They would go on to win and hold a 2-1 lead after three sets.

Coach Jen Hickey rallied the troops and had them ready for the make or break fourth set. They jumped out to a 14-4 lead with three aces and three kills from Luebbers in the early going. Ava King would add an ace and kill, as it would be all Franciscan in this set 25-10 to force a fifth and final set. 

The veteran leader, Mary Jean Cadman, would come through with three kills to set the tone and give Franciscan a 5-3. The Barons would climb the lead up to three at 8-5, but then Hollins would take the lead with a 5-0 run. Ava King would tie it up at 10-10 with a kill and an ace, as Franciscan would regain some momentum. The Barons would serve for match point at 14-13, but Hollins would answer and force this one to extra points. It would be back and forth until 20-18 when Hollins put together two consecutive points to take the win.

Inside the Numbers 
- Grace Wallace and Mary Smart each had 20 set assists. 
- Mary Jean Cadman led the way with 14 kills and Eva King had 13 in her debut.
- Sara Morre had 20 digs, and Kaitlan Hickey added 13 in her debut. 
- Luebbers led the way with a .333 kill percentage to lead all players.
 

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Franciscan 0, Westminster 3

Franciscan Starters 
Tessa Miller, Angela Sweeney, Meghan Hickey, Grace Wallace, Mary Jean Cadman, Sarah Clyde & libero - Sara Moore  

How It Happened 
Upon the completion of game one, the Barons got right back after it against a familiar foe, Westminster in a non-conference game. 

The Barons would take an early 4-2 lead in set one with a pair of aces from Sara Moore. The Titans would respond and battle back to tie it up at 11-11. From there it would mostly Westminster, as a 6-0 run would put it out of reach, and the Titans would take the opening set. 

The Barons would once again take an early 4-2 edge, this time with a pair of kills from Luebbers. The Barons would extend the lead to 8-5, but then a Titans' 7-0 run would flip the momentum in a hurry. They would add a 6-0 run later on to take full control of this set and win 25-16.

Mary Jean Cadman led the offense in the third set with four kills, but the Barons struggled to get any long runs in this set. The Titans would go on an 8-0 run to hold a 19-7 lead that they would not relinquish. 

Inside the Numbers 
- 13 different Barons saw playing time in this match.
- Cadman led the way with seven kills.
- Sara Moore had 16 digs and no reception errors.
- Madison Doan and Mary Jean Cadman combined for the lone block.

Up Next
Franciscan will play a pair of games tomorrow in Latrobe. They will start early with a 10 am matchup against Bethany before playing Saint Vincent on their home floor at 2 pm. Both of these contests will count as non-conference. This is their first of three meetings with the Bison, and they will only play the Bearcats one more time in Steubenville. Last season, Franciscan swept the Bearcats in a PAC matchup in Latrobe, as Mary Jean Cadman led the charge with 13 kills. In the earlier matchup, the Barons are looking for their first win against the Bison since 2019.

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