BOX SCORE Loretto, Pa. (Jan. 27, 2015)-The Saint Francis Men's Volleyball team squared off against the No. 1 Loyola Ramblers in DeGol Arena on Saturday night and gave the best team in the nation a run for its money.

During the first set, SFU hung with the top team in the country as each teams lead never got to be more than two points.

Jeremy Gaston (Tarentum, Pa./Deer Lakes) got the offense going for SFU getting the first kill of the match. The two teams exchanged points for most of the set before the Flash came up with a big block to take a 13-12 lead. On the next possession, Loyola could not control a hard kill from freshman Brandon Buck (Baden, Pa./Ambridge), forcing the Ramblers to call a timeout. 

After Loyola regained the lead, the Flash stormed back to tie the frame back up at 19 after a huge block from Mike Marshman (Glenmont, N.Y./Bethlehem Central). The Ramblers took the lead back on the next possession, but Marshman had the hot hand as he then tied the set back up with a kill in the middle of the court and followed that up with another block to retake the lead at 21-20; forcing Loyola's second timeout. 

Gaston then served up a service ace to give SFU a two-point lead late in the frame. Once again, the captain sparked the offense as he recorded the kill to win the first set. 

Loyola started off the second frame on fire. After a service error to open play, the Ramblers scored the next nine points to SFU's three, forcing head coach Mike Rambaugh to call a time out. 

A 16-10 run for the Ramblers finished off the second set to tie the match up at one set apiece. 

The two teams started off the third set similar to the first as they both exchanged points back and forth for most of the frame. A Daniel Ford (Newtown, Pa./Council Rock North) service ace and a kill by Keith Kegerreis (Chambersburg, Pa./Chambersburg) brought the lead to three. 

The break didn't stop the offense for the Flash as it scored on the next two possessions bring the lead to five. The No. 1 team in the nation continued it's offensive struggles from the left side of the court as the SFU forced Loyola's second timeout of the set with the score sitting at 14-8. 

The Ramblers continued to fight back, as did the Flash. The lead got to as large as seven for SFU, but Loyola stormed back to within one with score at 23-22. Marshman's fourth kill of the night brought the Flash within set point. Both teams exchanged points as the game was tied at 25. On the final possession of the frame, Loyola's Thomas Jaeschke gave SFU the set victory 27-25.

There most have been something about the right side of the court tonight because both teams started off strong while playing on that side. With Loyola taking an early 7-3 lead, Saint Francis U took its first timeout to try and regroup. Loyola came out strong after the break, bring it's lead to as large as seven. The Flash would not go quietly as it brought the score to within five. 

The Ramblers regained control of the set and finished off set number four with a score of 25-14. 

Much like the first and third set, the fifth frame started off with both Loyola and Saint Francis exchanging points. The Ramblers rallied off four straight to bring the score to 9-5. Gaston-who had the hot hand all night-picked up another kill to spark the offense for the Flash after the court switch. 

With the score at 11-7 SFU called a timeout to slow the momentum of the No. 1 team in the country, but the Flash could not find the same magic in the fifth set. Loyola won the final frame 15-9. 


Leading the way offensively for Saint Francis U was Gaston as he recorded a team high 17 kills. Stephen Braswell (Manchester, Pa./Northeastern) also recorded double-digit kills with 10.

The Flash fall to 0-8 on the year and will be back in action against Grand Canyon on Tuesday, Jan. 27 inside DeGol Arena.