Loretto, Pa. – Saint Francis University eked out a mind-numbing, five game slobber knocker in the Red Flash's fourth consecutive Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association Tait Division match-up against the New Jersey Institute of Technology on Friday evening.
Sophomore outside hitter Nick Rivett (Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel) turned in a record-performance with 26 kills, now fifth most all-time in a single game for the Red Flash. Rivett relentlessly pounded the leather with accuracy, too, swinging for a .451 rate on 51 attempts and only three errors. Rivett added an assist, an ace, 10 digs and one blocking assist. Junior setter Shane Conley (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) rewrote a record of his own, putting forth 65 total assists, fifth most all-time in Red Flash history. Conley already owns the second and fourth spots (69, 66, respectively). Conley had one ace and 10 digs with two blocking assists in addition to his well-balanced night.
Sophomore outside hitter Jordan Varee (Meadville, Pa./Conneaut Valley) declared another smash-mouth performance with 23 kills on 42 attempts (.452), one assist, one ace, four digs, one solo block and six blocking helpers. Varee led all scorers with 28 total points. Although sophomore middle hitter Pete Freyer (Orchard Park, N.Y./Orchard Park) had only eight kills in comparison to his teammates, his clip of .417 is worth noting. Freyer had 12 attempts in the match, adding one blocking assist. Sophomore outside hitter Dave Reilly (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury) played a significant role in the victory with nine kills, despite six errors on 26 swings. Reilly's defensive aptitude shined with 10 digs and five blocking assists. Sophomore Patrick McManamon (Huntingdon, Pa./Huntingdon) tallied six kills on 10 attempts (.500) with two service aces, leading all players, as well as one dig and nine blocking assists.
Sophomore libero Markus Schulze (Berlin, Germany/Anne-Frank) helped out with two assists and four digs.
“I knew heading into this match that NJIT would come out swinging. I now consider that an understatement”, Saint Francis head coach Mike Rumbaugh attested to. “It is a huge relief we took this match. Our boys needed this one, because our season is now going into the long haul of road life. The team is hot right now with four straight conference wins, but the true test will come with the next nine of our 11 matches on the road, starting with Penn State's spotless 15-0 record at their house tomorrow night.”
NJIT vaulted game one off sailing a whack wide but Robert Thomas tricked one over for a Highlander tally. Varee scored on the following play, but the next three serves went astray. Reilly's shattered the error streak, but Greg Wagner nullified his score. Reilly avenged the annulled point after blasting one through two NJIT defenders. Freyer, Reilly and Conley formed a wall for a block, leading to another miss from the Highlanders. Rivett slapped the first ace through NJIT's defense, but turned it over on his next attempt. Each team traded errors, but Eduardo Welter discovered the line for a Highlander point. Varee and McManamon blocked Amobi Armstrong's attempt after Welter's whack and McManamon forced NJIT head coach Ryan McNeil with kill that put Saint Francis up five, 12-7. After the break, NJIT tallied, but Reilly and McManamon denied Leonardo Paulo's wail. Following the block, NJIT and SFU swapped points, but McManamon and Varee committed unforced errors, bringing the Highlanders within three. Rivett charged up top for the kill, but the Highlanders countered after an SFU block attempt that fell wide. Varee lasered one of his signature bullets right at the chest of NJIT libero Chris Siddayao, pursued by a Freyer fricassee. The Highlanders scored the next two points off of SFU errors, but Greg Wagner's serve sailed past the boundary. Rodrigo Correa and Robert Thomas refuted Reilly's attempt, but he redeemed himself immediately on the next play. The Highlanders scored on the next volley, but Reilly and McManamon earned a dual block, setting the score at 20-16. Each squad evenly took two points of the next four rallies, but Varee silenced the Highlanders with a killer attack. NJIT brought it back to within three with a block, but Varee nearly decapitated NJIT's outside hitter on the subsequent play. Eduardo Welter kept it a three-point affair with a crafty kill. Varee's diving attempt went over the net but missed wide, clinging onto a two-point lead, 25-23. Rivett hit one too hard for NJIT to tally a dig, but Reilly's aggressive mindset knocked his serve into the back of the net. Paulo put one off of McManamon's fingertips and eventually, the Highlanders tied the game with Paulo's second consecutive kill. The Red Flash and NJIT battled for a point each, and an attacking error sent NJIT the first lead of the match. Freyer reknotted game one with a stern kill, but SFU's anecdote, Paulo gave them the lead. NJIT eventually claimed game one after a blocking error from Conley, 30-28, after trailing most of the opening frame. Rivett and Varee notched five kills, apiece. Varee attacked for a .444 clip, but the Highlanders outhit Saint Francis .355 to .300 in game one. In addition, the Flash committed eight service errors to NJIT's five. The Flash's defense shined, though, turning away four and a half attempts to NJIT's one.
Game two opened with a Varee kill and a McManamon and Varee stuff. Reilly boomed his serve an inch too long, as the Flash held a 2-1 lead in the opening moments. Saint Francis earned the next two of three points, but NJIT retied it with a block and a kill. Amobi Armstrong's service error did not corrupt his game face, as he rattled off the next two tallies. The Red Flash recaptured the lead on two NJIT errors, 7-6, as McManamon and Reilly added on with a double block. Reilly jumped on top of an NJIT error, as did Conley, who carved out his first ace of the match. The Highlanders' next two block attempts went astray as NJIT was forced to call a timeout down six, 13-7. The break set up an NJIT point off the bat, but Reilly, Varee and McManamon piggy-backed for a triple turn away. McManamon threw up his first ace of the game, but NJIT answered with an Eduardo Welter kill. Freyer picture-perfectly pulverized one through the Highlanders' wall, but NJIT took the next two of three points with the score reading 18-13 in favor of the Flash. NJIT moved to within four, 20-16, with a Welter poke, but Varee nixed that with a big kill and a block. SFU dashed out to a six-point advantage, 22-16. Each team traded points on the next consecutive six volleys, but NJIT churned out two successive points, moving within four, 25-21. Amobi Armstrong's serve missed on the next play, as Varee smelled blood and batted one off of Armstrong's dig attempt. Leonardo Paulo erred on his serve, but Eduardo Welter capitalized, making it a 28-23 score of SFU. Varee and Conley pushed it to game point with a dual block and McManamon finished off the Highlanders getting up high for a match-evening kill, 30-24.
Rivett found a new layer of paint on the end line in the initial volley of game one, but Conley's service error set it at 1-1. SFU netted the next two of three from a nasty Varee spike and a McManamon kill. McManamon kept strong with his second ace of the game. NJIT scored, but Rivett kept SFU in control with another blast, 5-4. Saint Francis remained sturdy with two more points, but Varee stepped out of bounds on his next over attempt. Rivett's wide whack brought NJIT to within one, but Leonardo Paulo reciprocated with a service error, 8-7. A smart kill by Reilly was given back to the Flash from Paulo on the next two plays. Varee's demonic kill kept SFU out two on the next volley, 10-8. Each team committed an error, but Armstrong came on strong with a nasty knock of his own. Reilly misjudged his dig and NJIT came back to make it an 11-11 tie in game three. The Flash put forth the next three before NJIT faintly put one in an open patch of real estate. Rivett kept it a three-point lead after smacking one off the Highlanders' fingertips. After cunning play on both sides transgressed, NJIT clawed back to make game three even again, 19-19. McManamon and Varee forced Ryan McNeil to burn the first timeout of game three with a crowd-pleasing block after SFU amassed two points prior. SFU went into the huddle, 22-19. Thomas and Armstrong couldn't handle Rivett's attempt, with the next play reading as an NJIT error. Up five previously, NJIT brought back to within two, 25-23, but Rivett bounced one off Highlander territory to go back up three. Rivett's heads-up play tallied another point for the Flash followed by an NJIT error. Varee blistered one into his own side of the net, two points away from going up 2-1 in the match. Rivett nudged it to game point with a blast and Amobi Armstrong's attempt to regain some momentum went long as the Flash took game three, 30-24. The Flash held a distinct advantage in the attacking department in game three, .533 to .038.
NJIT started off game four with the first point for the first time in the match from a McManamon error. Greg Wagner's kill put them up 2-0, but Leonardo Paulo turned the ball over. SFU committed their 23rd team service error, but Rivett quickly countered on his 21st kill of the evening. NJIT vaunted back with three consecutive kills, coercing Rumbaugh to stop the game for the first time of the evening as his team lagged, 7-2, in the first few volleys of game four. Rivett tapped one over, stifling NJIT after the break, and the Highlanders perpetrated a lift for another SFU kill. Varee put up his first ace of the game for SFU's third consecutive point, but Varee missed as the score read 8-5 in NJIT's favor. Varee picked the left corner for a Red Flash point followed by an NJIT error. Armstrong drilled one off of Reilly's head for a Highlander notch, but Varee erased the NJIT's fancy point with a thrilling kill. Armstrong kept NJIT out by two, but Reilly reciprocated with the score now reading 10-9, NJIT. Each squad swapped scores, but Paulo's error turned game four into another tie, 11-11. NJIT dug deep for two nice points, but a Rivett and McManamon block stopped the rally. Freyer committed a net violation, but Rivett poked one through. NJIT was stymied by a spinning SFU attack as the game drew even again, 14-14. The Highlanders spewed forth for three consecutive points, forcing Rumbaugh to take another pause with his team down, 17-14. Varee's court-damaging kill was the product of Rumbaugh's timeout. Thomas' attack veered wide after Varee's attack, but Paulo busted up a superb back-and-forth volley. Freyer knocked one through with the score set at 18-17, NJIT. Paulo missed and game four closed back up to 18-18. NJIT took the next three of four points, but Varee plowed through the Highlanders front line for a big smack. Welter managed to find an opening in the Flash's defense, but Wagner's service attempt fell well short of clearing. A ball handling error on Armstrong tied the game back to 22-22, with McNeil deciding it was a good point in the game to call his first timeout of game four. McNeil's timeout breathed life back into the Flash, as the took the next two of three rallies. Welter banked one off an outstretch Schulze followed by a lead-claiming black from Thomas and Paulo. Four hits from NJIT forced another even count, 25-25, but was quickly broken by an Armstrong endeavor. Game four moved out to 27-27 with head-turning play. McManamon missed his dig attempt, but Paulo's next serve had no chance of being in play. Reilly performed the same act as his for, with NJIT on the brink of pushing a game five. Wagner committed the third consecutive service error, but the Highlanders bamboozled the Flash with a fancy kill. Freyer returned the favor as the count looked like 30-30. An Armstrong kill and a Thomas stuff were enough to extend the match to five games after game four finished up, 32-30. Varee paced the Flash with six kills, as well as SFU's only service ace. After four games, Saint Francis carried out 27 service errors as the Highlanders put forth 17.
NJIT drew first blood in the tie-breaker with the first two points. McManamon netted his sixth kill followed by a Varee and McManamon block, moving the final game to 2-2. Each team couldn't handle each other's attacks, with Varee piping another one right at NJIT, taking the first lead in the tie-breaker, 4-3. Armstrong gave in return another kill followed by an errant whack from Reilly. NJIT's Rodrigo Correa failed on his service attempt and Welter's kill also strayed from the in-boundary. Varee steadfastly erased Thomas' kill with one of his own. The Flash moved out two with an NJIT error. Varee kept the Flash on top, 10-8, with a powerful stroke, but Paulo performed his own kill. Paulo then fanned on his serve, but Welter came with support on a stern kill. Rivett put one through NJIT's wall, but NJIT quickly retaliated. The Highlanders locked it back up to 12-12 with an Armstrong kill, but Rivett continued on with a loud slap to go back up one. NJIT jolted their next attempt wide, and Varee fittingly stifled the Highlanders with bending serve that didn't make it back over the Flash's side. Saint Francis finished the battle nerve-racking tie-breaker, 15-12.
Tonight's EIVA tilt marks Saint Francis' 11th and final home game of their month-long home stand. Saint Francis (9-6, 5-1) has belted out four conference wins in a row, but the team will face a much different test when they take to the road for the next five games. The Flash do battle against Tait Division stalwart Penn State, traveling to University Park on Saturday, February 23 at 7:00pm in Recreational Hall. Penn State is currently undefeated, 15-0.
