BOX SCORE STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – The Saint Francis men's volleyball won a set against No. 12 Penn State for the first time in three years on Saturday night in the Red Flash's EIVA opener, but SFU could not string enough runs together to defeat the Nittany Lions. Penn State won the match 25-21, 25-21, 23-25, 25-18.

Logan Patterson (Derry, Pa./Derry Area) controlled the third game, notching seven kills in the set as Saint Francis (2-3, 0-1) never trailed after taking a 9-8 lead. Penn State pulled to with to within 14-13, but a 3-0 run fueled by a Patterson ace and an Adam Barba (Meadville, Pa./Meadville) kill put distance back in the match. The Lions managed to tie the score at 19-19, but Patterson and Barba each had a pair of kills down the stretch to give the Red Flash the game three victory.

The teams played evenly through the first set, with SFU's largest lead coming at 10-7 and PSU only leading 1-0 and 19-18. With the score tied at 20 after a Barba kill, Penn State called timeout and went on a 4-0 run to put the first game away.

After Penn State (4-2, 1-0) scored the first point in game two, the Flash stormed ahead with five consecutive points, capped by an ace by sophomore Mike Marshman (Glenmont, N.Y./Bethlehem Central). The Flash held the advantage untik the Nittany Lions tied the score at 13. The teams traded scores to 18-18 after a Marshman kill, but PSU scored six of the next seven points to take a 24-19 lead. Marshman recorded another kill, and Mike Kresch, Mark Kochan (Towaco, N.J./Seton Hall Prep) and Barba combined on a block to make it 24-21. But the Lions scored the final point on a SFU hitting error to take a 2-0 lead.

After winning the third game, the Flash faced a barrage from the Nits in set four. PSU jumped out to a 9-4 lead and didn't look back as it led 15-7 and 21-13. Patterson added eight more kills for the Red Flash in the final set, but the Lions finished with the 25-18 victory.

SFU has a quick turnaround as it faces Mount Olive tomorrow afternoon at 3:00 p.m. at DeGol Arena.