NEWARK, N.J. (Jan. 23, 2010) - The #15 Red Flash men's volleyball team overcame a slow start to post a come-from-behind victory against the Rutgers-Newark Scarlet Raiders, sweeping the final three sets to take a 3-2 (28-30, 23-30, 30-25, 30-21, 15-13) victory in the finale of the Golden Dome Tournament.
Like a pair of prizefighters, the Red Flash and Scarlet Knights traded blows in the fifth and final set. With the score tied at four points apiece, the Red Flash put together a 6-2 run, highlighted by a pair of Jordan Varee (Conneautville, PA/Conneaut Valley) (Conneautville, Pa./Conneaut Valley) aces, as well as a kill.
Through two sets, it looked as if Saint Francis would fall to the Scarlet Raiders on the road, but the Red Flash came out of the break between sets two and three revitalized. After falling behind 0-2 early in the third set, consecutive kills by Pete Freyer (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park) (Orchard Park, N.Y./Orchard Park) and Varee, combined with a service ace by Ryan Williams (Pittsburgh, Pa./Montour) (Pittsburgh, Pa./Montour), gave the Flash a 3-2 lead and set them on the path to take the third set.
After taking set three 30-25, Saint Francis again went neck and neck with Rutgers-Newark. Despite trailing 9-6, the Scarlet Raiders pushed the issue and led the set at 14-13 points. The Red Flash were spurred by consecutive kills from Varee and John Skarupa (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegehny) (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) and a Williams block to start an 16-8 run that wrapped the fourth set 30-21, setting the stage for the decisive fifth set.
Saint Francis was led by Varee, who notched 20 kills and 13 digs for his second double-double of the season. Senior Nick Rivett (Pittsburgh, PA/Fox Chapel) (Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel) had a season-high 17 kills and just two errors, giving him an impeccable .417 hitting percentage. For the night, the Red Flash hit .311 as a team, compared to just .242 for the Scarlet Raiders. Libero Seth Katich (Pittsburgh, PA/Fox Chapel) (Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel) also had 13 digs.
Both Varee and Rivett were named to the All-Tournament Team.
The Red Flash came out sluggish in the first set, allowing the Scarlet Raiders to build a 4-1 lead on the strength of Dane Mulligan's strong play (he had a kill and an ace to make up two of Rutgers-Newark's first three points) and a service error by Freyer.
The Flash responded with a major run of their own, though; sparked by a block from and Rivett, Saint Francis would score six of the next seven points to make the score 7-5.
The Red Flash continue to hold the lead well into the first set, bending but refusing to break against the relentless Scarlet Raiders. However, a Jon Keller service error pulled the set even at 22. That would provide Rutgers-Newark all the daylight they would need; a 5-1 run fueled by two blocks (recorded by Liran Shapiro, Mark Kochan, and Eduardo Hernandez) pushed the Scarlet Raiders to the finish line 30-28.
The first set loss seemed to leave the Red Flash spellbound, while at the same time energizing the Scarlet Raiders. The second set started out even, with the teams matching each other point for point until 4-4, when Rutgers-Newark began to build a lead.
Despite kills from Freyer and Varee, the Red Flash could not keep up with the Scarlet Raiders, who hit a torrid .441 in the second set; 20 of their points came from kills, while only five came from Red Flash attack errors.
Most of those kills came with Rutgers-Newark leading 18-16, embarking on a 6-2 run that forced the Red Flash into a timeout. Unable to recover, the Flash dropped the second set 30-23 before taking the final three sets for the improbable come-from-behind victory.
The Red Flash return to DeGol Arena tomorrow to host their third straight EIVA Hay opponent, the Harvard Crimson. The match is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.
