ELK GROVE, Calif. – Junior opposite Gilly Glikman powered the offensive with eight kills while tying Sidney Palmeri with three of her team's 12 total blocks as St. Francis swept Franklin, 25-16, 25-16, 25-19, in non-league girls' volleyball action Thursday night.
This marks the 14th time in the last decade that the Troubadours have swept the Wildcats, as the two teams were previously leaguemates in the Delta League. SF improves to 5-0 for the year.
Oddly, the Troubies managed just 25 kills in completing their straight-set win. They tallied 17 points on aces, with setter Harper Rios leading that department along with her 12 assists. Mercy Collier served up a hat trick, while Hailey Sutton and Kelsey Granner each posted two aces. Collier, Marissa Jensen and Layla Hernandez added to the net defense with two stuff blocks apiece.
St. Francis hit .320 on 10 kills with just two errors in the opener but managed just five kills in the second despite an identical set score. Hernandez tallied five such hits, with Sophia Palmeri adding four in aid of Glikman's team-high attacking.
The varsity sweep followed simultaneous two-game sweeps by the Troubie junior varsity and frosh squads. Hassanah Ramsey-Gilbert knocked out five kills, including an errorless 4-for-7 in the second set, while Maura McManus hit 3-0-6 in the first set for the jayvees, helping to a 25-8, 25-23 victory. The SF frosh won in a more balanced manner, taking the Wildcats by scores of 25-18 and 25-14.
The Troubadour squads split up during the upcoming weekend. Varsity heads south to the Central California Classic, hosted jointly at Merced and Golden Valley on Friday and Saturday. The JV squad goes idle until Monday's Sierra Foothill League opener with Rocklin. The froshies stay local, competing in the one-day Bulldog Bash on Saturday.
