LORETTO, Pa. (Jan. 15, 2010) - The Red Flash men's volleyball team will kick off a crucial opening weekend tonight with a visit to the #5 Penn State Nittany Lions tonight, the first of a stretch of three matches in as many days.

Tonight's match will be the first EIVA Tait match for both Saint Francis and Penn State, and the winner could take the inside track on claiming the conference championship.  The Nittany Lions were picked to finish first in the EIVA preseason poll, receiving five first-place votes, and are coming off a tournament in Hawaii that saw them match up with some of the best teams in the country.  The Red Flash were picked to finish second, and received Penn State's first-place vote in the preseason poll.

Live stats will be available for the Penn State match, which will be webstreamed by the Big Ten Network.  Click here to watch the match.  (Note:  You must sign up online to access the stream, and you will be asked to pay a $2.99 fee to watch the match.)

After Penn State, the Red Flash will take on the Sacred Heart Pioneers on Saturday in the battle for the NEC Cup.  The Flash are 6-1 all-time against the Pioneers, but Sacred Heart won the most recent contest in 2007.  Live stats will be available here, and the match will be streamed over www.GoRedFlash.com. 

Finally, the Red Flash will cap the weekend with a Sunday afternoon showdown with the #10 Ohio State Buckeyes.  The Flash have never beaten the Buckeyes, but last year's match in Loretto was a heart-pounding affair that nearly ended in a Red Flash upset.  Live stats for the match will be available, as well as an internet stream.