Summit fell to top-ranked Franklin 16-14 in a fifth set in the District 10-AAA volleyball championship Friday, Oct. 9, at Summit High School in Spring Hill.
The Admirals won 25-17, 15-25, 25-23, 21-25, 16-14, as first reported by the Williamson Herald. It was Summit's third five-set loss to Franklin this season. The second-place finish still punched the Spartans' ticket to the Region 5-AAA tournament.
That regional semifinal against Lincoln County is set for Tuesday, Oct. 13, at Franklin.
Senior Madison Spelta posted 20 kills on a match-best .548 hitting percentage over 31 attacks. She added six blocks and an ace. Her solo block in the second set gave Summit a 9-3 lead the Spartans held to even the match at one set apiece.
"I felt like we did really well tonight, we just seemed to fall back a little bit late and that was tough," Spelta told the Williamson Herald after the match.
Senior Emery Estep led all players with a match-high 23 kills. Everleigh DeShazo, a senior committed to play beach volleyball at Florida Gulf Coast, matched Spelta with 20. Setter Raegan Burtch ran the offense with 58 assists, 14 digs and four blocks.
Summit's defense dug 80 balls. Tessa Rowe and Poag each recorded 18 digs.
The Spartans entered the district tournament as the No. 3 seed after back-to-back regular-season losses. They swept Ravenwood in the quarterfinals and No. 2 Nolensville in the semifinals to reach the title match.
Summit built a 20-16 lead in the third set before Franklin rallied. The Admirals tied it at 20-20, and Brynn Penington served a clinching ace to steal the set 25-23. Summit answered in the fourth, jumping ahead 11-5 and closing out a 25-21 win to force the decider.
The fifth set stayed tight. The teams traded the first 16 points to make it 8-8. Summit grabbed a brief edge, but Franklin's Jorden Robinson sealed the match with a block.
Franklin tournament MVP Maggie Myhr recorded 42 digs. The Admirals entered the championship at 26-1.
Coach Warne Riker told the Williamson Herald that trust was his message throughout the match, urging his players to believe in one another rather than beat themselves. He said coaching at this level of play goes beyond the basics into advanced strategy and footwork.
The district final was Summit's second consecutive championship appearance. The Spartans won the state title in their first state appearance last season. Tuesday's regional semifinal is only the program's second regional appearance in history.
If Summit beats Lincoln County, the Spartans would face the Franklin-Coffee County winner later Tuesday for the region title and sectional hosting rights.
