Loretto, Pa. – Saint Francis University was overmatched against the No.3 ranked Penn State Nittany Lions in the Red Flash's first Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association Tait Division game of the season. The Red Flash (1-4) dropped their fourth game of the season by a 3-0 (30-19, 30-16, 30-23) final.
Sophomore Jordan Varee (Meadville, Pa./Conneaut Valley) piloted the Flash with 13 kills and one service ace. Varee also stockpiled four blocking assists. Sophomore middle hitter Patrick McManamon (Huntingdon, Pa./Huntingdon) utilized his lofty frame to stuff the Nittany Lions for five total blocking assists on the evening. Sophomore outside hitter Dave Reilly (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury) tallied four defensive digs on the night in addition to Saint Francis' other service ace. Junior setter Shane Conley (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) filled his role well, accumulating 24 sets in the match.
The Nittany Lions relentless attack sweltered Saint Francis, reeling off attacking percentages of .609, .263 and .182 to SFU's .231, -.273 and .000. Penn State also dominated on the defensive side of the ball, out blocking the Flash 2.5-1.0, 6.5-1.0 and 9.0-6.0
Saint Francis came out pumped and primed for their pivotal conference match-up versus the highly touted No.3 Penn State Nittany Lions in game one. The Flash jumped out to a 6-3 lead, catapulted by a sturdy Varee block right from the start. Two consecutive service errors off the hands of the Nittany Lions contributed to SFU's momentum. Penn State tied it up at eight all with a few vicious kills from juniors Matt Anderson and Ryan Sweitzer. The Flash coughed up four consecutive services errors, allowing Penn State to amass a 15-12 advantage mid-game. Sophomore Pete Freyer (Orchard Park, N.Y./ Orchard Park) attempted to bring the Red Flash back into it with a stymieing kill, but Penn State piled it on for a five-point gain after head coach Mike Rumbaugh called a timeout with the board reading 18-13. Varee smashed a kill right at Penn State's defense after the breather, but Freyer turned the ball back over to PSU after another service error. Varee kept SFU's head above water in his aggressive attacking at the net, bringing it to a 20-17 affair. The Nittany Lions began to pull away with two big stuffs at the front of the mesh. Sophomore Nick Rivett (Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel) swatted a firm kill at the Lions midst the onslaught of Penn State's attack, but in the end, the Nittany Lions came away with ease, 30-19. Penn State hit for an overwhelming .609 to SFU's clip of .231. Varee directed the Flash with six kills in game one.
Saint Francis started off with two unforced errors in the early moments, permitting the Nittany Lions to climb out of the gate, 4-1. The Flash emerged valiant from a strenuous volley to bring game two to 5-3, but sturdy play at the front of the net yielded SFU from penetrating the Nittany Lions façade. Two simultaneous kills from PSU allowed them to gain a five point lead, 11-6. The Flash could not crack the four-point deficit as the Nittany Lions snuck off to a 17-11 lead. Reilly tipped over a tricky kill, bewildering PSU's towering front line, but a Max Holt block paved the way for Nittany Lions to climb to a ten point lead, 25-15. Penn State turned away numerous Red Flash attempts to get back into game two at the front gate and eventually finished off Saint Francis by a final tally of 30-16. Saint Francis created 16 turnovers to Penn State's four. Varee drilled the Flash's first service ace of the evening in the second contest.
Each team traded unforced errors in game three's first points, but a brawny block by McManamon and Varee stirred the momentum in favor of the Flash for an early two point lead, 7-5. A couple errant swats by Saint Francis mixed in with a Penn State block let the Nittany Lions back in the game, leading 11-9. Varee tied it back up by leaving a Molten logo imprint on the floor after his ferocious kill to draw the game to eleven all. Penn State put together a couple blocks and a sly dropkill to make it a 15-11 affair. Penn State's Matt Anderson strung together a fine array of serves, building a 19-13 lead. The Nittany Lions sat their starting setter, Luke Murray, as Penn State began to pull away. The Flash provided Penn State with a valiant effort in game three, but in the waning moments, Saint Francis committed three uninterrupted turnovers, forcing Rumbaugh to take a timeout with the score reading 27-16 in favor of the Nittany Lions. Conley and McManamon rallied together for a robust block, setting off a five point rally in favor of Saint Francis. For added drama, Reilly nudged one over the net for a service ace. Varee and McManamon turned away another Nittany Lions kill attempt, but Reilly's service error concluded Saint Francis's fifth game of the season by a 3-0 (30-19, 30-16, 30-23) final count.
The Red Flash move to 1-4 on the season after the 3-0 loss to No.3 Penn State. The Red Flash will take on Mercyhurst College (MIVA) on Saturday, January 26 a 1pm at DeGol Arena. This will mark Saint Francis' second match of a three-game homestand this weekend. On Sunday, January 27, the Red Flash will host the Mount Olive College Trojans at 4pm.
