Kelly Franxman came to the University of Kentucky hoping to help the Wildcats add to the culture built in Lexington since Head Coach Craig Skinner took over in 2005. The Wildcats won the national title in 2020.
It took the 6-ft. outside hitter just two games to hit the court for the 11th-ranked Wildcats. Franxman, a Scott High grad, had six kills, one block and one dig with just one service error and one hitting error. The Wildcats (1-1 overall) took down the Ohio University Bobcats, 3-0 (25-20, 25-11, 25-20) at the University of Kentucky’s Memorial Coliseum in Lexington on Sunday after opening the season with a 3-2 (25-21, 25-22, 18-25, 16-25, 15-12) loss to Marquette on Friday, also at Memorial Coliseum.
“Kelly came into the match and made a big difference for us,” Skinner said. “For her to enter into the match and take 10 swings with only one error, hit .500 is pretty impressive.”
Franxman admits she did not like the circumstances of her coming into the game when sophomore teammate Erin Lamb had to leave because of an apparent injury. But Franxman made the most of the situation.
She is one of four outside hitters listed on the Wildcat roster.
“I was ready to show them what I got, show them what I’d been practicing,” Franxman said. “I know my team is out there trusting me to get the job done and they put me in great situations.”
The redshirt senior came to UK after spending four seasons at Xavier University. The Musketeers went a combined 39-55 including a 25-35 mark in Big East Conference play.
Xavier may not have made the NCAA Tournament in those four years, but Franxman recorded 480 kills during her time there. She majored in accounting and finance at Xavier.
Franxman said she’s been working on her angles on serve-reception and her blocking to contribute on the court for the Wildcats among other things. Franxman said it is critical to move hands over fast on blocks.
Franxman credited Kentucky sophomore setter Emma Grome for putting the hitters in good situations and the liberos for giving good shots. Franxman also listed as key, putting mistakes behind.
“If you can stay behind the ball, you’re able to see the block and see what you have,” Franxman said. “You have to move on and know your teammates have your back and go after it again.”
Before going into the game, Franxman stood with her teammates and cheered the team on. She gave an unselfish reason for doing that.
“The coach puts the best line-up out there that day and we all accept that and accept our roles,” Franxman said. “We all want to see each other do well.”
Franxman said she grew up a huge UK fan as part of a big family. Her father Mark and the former UK and Scott volleyball player Lauren O’Conner were especially glad to see Franxman go to UK. Franxman’s cousin has been O’Conner’s best friend since the third grade and another one of Franxman’s cousin is O’Conner’s brother-in-law.
“That family connection made it all the more exciting to see her be able to experience the program at UK knowing what I experienced,” O’Conner said. “It’s such an elite program and such a neat experience because you are playing for one of the best athletic programs in the nation. On top of that, Kentucky has the best coaching staff, trainers, support staff. Everyone is nice and just wants to see you thrive. So I was just so excited to know what Kelly was getting into in the best way possible and be able to make lifelong memories because it is a great place to be.”
Franxman said it is tough to balance her social, academic and athletic lives. But she noted the student-athletes have great resources at UK.
“That’s definitely a tough one,” Franxman said. “When you first come in, it’s kind of a shock with how much you have to balance. But a planner and we have advisers to help us with great tutors and all that. But mainly a planner. Know when things are due.”
Kentucky has won five consecutive Southeast Conference championships.
When thinking of the national championship, O’Conner said it gives her chills. She noted that Coach Skinner had a vision of competing for SEC and national championships when he recruited her. She recalled a key player on the national championship team in Madison Lilley committing to to UK when she ran a camp during her time there.
O’Conner even noted that the team held a pyramid sheet of the top programs in the country during her time there. At the top of the pyramid were teams like Penn State, Nebraska and Texas. Down a level were other teams. That pyramid displayed the path to a national championship and Kentucky achieved it. O’Conner still ranks in the Top 10 in school history in both her career and for one season during the 25-point rally scoring era.
“When recruiting came, we had that same vision,” O’Conner said. “This is what we want to achieve. We had support from the top in (longtime UK Director of Athletics) Mitch Barnhart. He’ll see you and say, ‘Hey Lauren. How are you doing?’ Having that one-on-one connection with someone who knows who you are, you can just feel the support. That’s what a great program needs.”
O’Conner and Franxman took a similar path to playing college volleyball after playing four years for long-time head coach Andrea Sullivan at Scott. O’Conner and Franxman graduated early from Scott in 2010 and 2017, respectively, then headed to Kentucky and Xavier those following years. Franxman then redshirted at Xavier in 2018.
“In hindsight, it was great because it made me learn my body limits and how far I can push myself before it’s too far,” Franxman said. “Then you get to see everything from the sideline and how it’s supposed to work then help your teammates that way so you’re always trying to help your teammates find ways to score. Then when you get back out on the court, it’s easier for you to pay attention to those ways to score.”
O’Conner became the first volleyball player at UK to enroll early. She had to write letters and appear before the Kenton County Board of Education as to why she wanted to graduate early. But the school system ultimately approved.
“I was in a good situation and Kelly was the same because at Woodland (Middle School) in the eighth grade, we were able to start taking high school courses if we were Accelerated Math,” O’Conner said. “The fall of my senior year, I had to take an English and I think it was a Science class online to finish out my final credits so that I could graduate early.”
Scott finished 131-33 in her four years of high school helping the Eagles to 37th District and 10th Region championships all four years. Scott drove to the state semifinals her freshman year.
Franxman played basketball at Scott through her junior year helping Scott to two appearances in the 10th Region Tournament in two years dressing for varsity. Scott finished 20-13 her sophomore year finishing runner-up in both the 37th District and 10th Region Tournaments.
Franxman said she talked to O’Conner before graduating early.
“(O’Conner) was like, ‘It was the best decision I’ve ever made,” Franxman said. “I feel that it’s mainly fall sports because you come in and it’s the off-season. You get a lot of reps and get better and better. You’re kind of learning the program and how it works. So you’re playing college volleyball before your season actually starts. From high school to college is a big jump. That extra semester is great to catch you up to where you’re supposed to be.”
Scott finished 111-45 during O’Conner’s four years of high school. The Eagles won three district championships and advanced to the 9th Region semifinals three straight years between her sophomore and senior years including an appearance in the region championship game her senior year. O’Conner said Scott might have gone to state her senior year. But she broke her finger as a senior and had to have surgery. She was out the week the Eagles played Notre Dame, then ultimately could not play for the rest of the season.
Scott started the current season winning its first nine games before losing at St. Henry on Monday. Franxman said she would not mind if the Eagles ultimately surpass what happened her freshman year.
“That would be insane. I would love to see the program go up,” Franxman said. “It’s great to hear they’re doing super well. But I would love to see them in the state tournament and come down for a game.”
Franxman has one extra year of eligibility at Kentucky because of the COVID pandemic. But whether she takes it or not is up in the air.
“I do love this program,” Franxman said. “They might be able to convince me to stay.”
Kentucky hits the road for three games in Omaha, Nebraska this weekend. The Wildcats return home on Sept. 9 against the University of Wisconsin for a 6 p.m. game. More than 2,000 fans attended the win over Ohio University.