Franklin High School's volleyball team rallied in a decisive fifth set to beat rival Summit 3-2 on Thursday, Oct. 1, finishing the regular season at 25-1.
The top-ranked Admirals controlled the early going, taking the first two sets 25-23 and 25-20. But Summit, the defending Class AAA state champion, answered by winning the third and fourth sets 25-18 and 25-19, forcing a fifth set. Franklin held off the Spartans' momentum and closed it out 15-13.
The combined score across five sets: 106-102.
Junior setter Emerson Garner ran the Franklin offense with 45 assists and two aces. Ellyson Fogle led the attack with 18 kills. Riley Neese matched Garner with two aces of her own. Head coach MaKayla Beebe's squad won 10 of its last 11 road games heading into the postseason.
"It really takes all of us – it's team play," Garner said during a Sept. 18 appearance on the Williamson Herald's Athlete of the Week feature, speaking about the Admirals' unbeaten district run.
Summit did not go quietly. Senior Raegan Burtch posted 46 assists and 11 digs, while Everleigh DeShazo tallied 17 kills and seven digs. The loss dropped the No. 11-ranked Spartans to 20-14 and snapped a 15-game home winning streak that dated to the 2025 season, according to MaxPreps.
Garner, an Auburn commit, entered the postseason ranked No. 5 in Tennessee with 699 assists on the year. Fogle sat at No. 25 statewide with 279 kills. On Summit's side, Burtch ranked No. 11 in the state with 680 total assists, according to a WCS Sports playoff preview.
The district tournament began Monday, Oct. 5, and runs through Thursday, Oct. 8. The top two finishers advance to the regional round.
