GRANVILLE, Ohio -- The Washington & Jefferson College volleyball team opened the 2023 season Friday evening by dropping a four-set decision to Franklin College on day one of the Denison University Big Red Invitational. 

In the initial set of the match, W&J built an early 9-4 lead when Lizzie Carmichael (Wyoming, Ohio/Wyoming) recorded a kill. A kill by Faith Fetsko (South Park, Pa./South Park) made the lead 11-7 but the Grizzlies responded with six of the next eight points to even the set score at 13-13. After Franklin eventually built an 18-15 advantage, W&J responded with four-straight points, which included a pair of kills by Fetsko. Franklin eventually pulled away for the 25-21 victory to take the opening set of play. 

W&J responded in a big way to take the second set by a 25-13 score and even the match. The Presidents recorded 14 kills and committed just one attack error as they compiled a .406 hitting percentage in the set. Sophie Little (Marysville, Ohio / Fairbanks) keyed the effort with four kills and a service ace during the second set. 

The Presidents were unable to carry that momentum into the third set, as the Grizzlies tallied nine of the first 11 points to build a sizable advantage. The Presidents were able to regroup and eventually record eight-straight points to surge into 14-12 lead. Fetsko recorded three kills during the spurt for the Red and Black. However, Franklin responded with six of the next seven points to take the lead for good. W&J brought the deficit to 22-21 when Rian Benz (Strongsville, Ohio / Holy Name) notched a kill. That was as close as W&J would get, however, as Franklin tallied the final three points to secure the third set.

The fourth set was arguably the most competitive of the match. Franklin held a slim lead for the majority of the set before W&J garnered back-to-back points to even the score at 21-21. The teams traded the next four points before Franklin eventually had three chances at set/match point. However, W&J fought off each opportunity and eventually had a chance to force a decisive fifth set. A kill by Little gave W&J a 28-27 advantage. Franklin was able to respond with four of the next five points to escape with a 31-29 victory to claim the set and the match. 

Little finished with 10 kills and a .692 hitting percentage in an impressive debut. Fetsko equaled Franklin's Kaitlyn Lavy with a match-high 14 kills. 

Brielle Moorhouse (East Liberty, Ohio / Benjamin Logan) recorded 21 assists and 11 digs in the loss. Adrianna Sacramento (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Woodland Hills) paced the Presidents with 23 assists. 

Bella Anzevino (Brunswick, Ohio / Buckeye) and Piper McFarland (West Mifflin, Pa. / Cornerstone Preparatory Academy) finished with 14 digs and 13 digs, respectively. 

W&J faces host Denison (11 AM) before taking on Wilmington (3 PM) in Saturday action at the Big Red Invitational.