BRYN MAWR, Pa. - It was tough sledding inside the Class of 1958 Gymnasium earlier Saturday afternoon, as the Owls took a 3-0 defeat at the hands of visiting Franklin & Marshall. Bryn Mawr put up a valiant effort defensively, posting 38 digs and five blocks, but the Diplomats featured too many weapons in their arsenal to be shut down. Rachel Ofili led the Owls with six kills and four solo blocks on the day. Franklin & Marshall got a match-high 16 kills from Katie Foreman.

Franklin & Marshall (10-7, 3-1 CC) stormed out of the gates in the first set and giving Bryn Mawr a lot of trouble early. The Diplomats posted a match-high attack percentage of .308 in the opening frame, while at the same time forcing Bryn Mawr (6-9, 1-2 CC) into making seven errors and just three kills. That combination proved unhealthy for the Owls, as F&M ended up taking the first set in dominating 25-16 fashion.

The second set was a much more competitive affair for the Owls. Two attack errors from the visitors got Bryn Mawr out in front early. Then, after falling behind 4-3, Sarah Gates tallied a kill to tie things back up. After that, two more attack errors from F&M and then a service ace from Zoe Holman got the Owls out in front by a 7-4 margin. Later on, a kill from Caroline Cosby and a bad set moved that advantage even wider at 9-5. However, being one of the better teams in the Centennial Conference, the Diplomats certainly weren't going to fold under that early pressure. The visitors stormed back in front with a 6-0 run, taking an 11-9 lead in the frame. Later, several errors by the Owls helped the Diplomats get out in front 18-13. Bryn Mawr tried to respond, with a kill from Noemi Moreno and a kill and a service ace from Megan Kilmer cutting the deficit to just 18-16. However, that was as close as Bryn Mawr would come in the set, as Franklin & Marshall would ultimately close out the set on another kill from Foreman to take a 2-0 advantage in the match.

The third set was all Diplomats from the start once again, as the visitors leapt ahead 15-5 in the frame. A Bryn Mawr timeout helped spark a three-point rally for the Owls, thanks to a kill from Gates and a pair of errors. Unfortunately, F&M could not be stopped on this day, and they ultimately walked away with a 25-16 win in the set to take the match in 3-0 fashion.

Bryn Mawr will have to hit the road for their next matchup, as the Owls kick off a three-match road trip on Wednesday with a visit up north to Muhlenberg. Always a tough opponent, this year the Mules are currently right in the middle of the Centennial Conference standings, and both sides will be fighting for position in the league. Wednesday's match should be a good one, and it tips off at 7:00 PM in Allentown. Be sure to check out gobrynmawr.com for live stats and live video coverage of that contest.