BOX SCORE RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Colin Sherwin (Greensburg, Pa./Greater Latrobe) had 15 kills to lead the Saint Francis men's volleyball team, but the Red Flash lost in four sets at California Baptist on Tuesday night. Cal Baptist won the match 25-20, 25-22, 23-25 and 25-23.
Cal Baptist jumped out to a 12-4 lead in the first game, but the Red Flash fought back to cut the deficit to just three at 22-19 after a kill by
Mike DeLyser (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) and two attack errors. CBU scored three of the next four points to take the first game, however. DeLyser finished with six kills on 14 hits.
In game two, Cal Baptist led by as many as seven and held an 18-11 lead until the Flash scored five of the next seven points to chip into the lead. Saint Francis got even closer with
Adam Barba (Meadville, Pa./Meadville)'s kill to make it 22-19. Facing game point, Sherwin recorded a kill to prolong the set, but a kill for CBU ended the set, 25-22. Barba's 11 kills were second on the team, and his two aces led the Red Flash.
The Flash got off to a quicker start in game three, never trailing. Barba's ace gave the Flash its biggest lead of the night at 17-13, but Cal Baptist fought back to tie the score at 20-20. The teams traded points until Sherwin gave the Flash the victory with a kill set by
Adam Kniffen (Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe).
Neither team led by more than three points in the fourth game, but the Flash just couldn't get over the hump after Cal Baptist took a 17-14 lead. DeLyser and Barba had kills and Kniffen had an ace to the score at 17, but Cal Baptist scored the next point as it didn't trail for the remainder of the set. An error by CBU put the Flash down just one, 24-23. Following a timeout, Cal Baptist scored a kill to end the game and the match.
Logan Patterson (Derry, Pa./Derry Area) finished with 10 kills while Kniffen had 41 assists.
Ray Frazer (Chambersburg, Pa./Chambersburg) led the team with nine digs.
Saint Francis now has some time off as it next plays March 21-22 at Lewis University and Loyola-Chicago.
