BROOKLYN – Kelsey Roush (Johnstown, Pa./Richland) led the Saint Francis women's volleyball team with 17 digs, but the Red Flash lost its NEC match Sunday afternoon at LIU Brooklyn, three sets to none. LIU Brooklyn won 25-14, 25-21 and 25-22.
 
LIU Brooklyn jumped out to a fast start in the first set, leading 13-1 and 18-3. The Blackbirds took the lead to 24-7 before the Flash scored seven straight points. That run was highlighted by back-to-back aces by Roush. An attack error against the Flash ended the first set in favor of LIU, 25-14.
 
In the second set, the Red Flash held the Blackbirds to a .064 hitting percentage. SFU jumped out to a 9-6 lead thanks to kills from Breanna Opera (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster ), Maria Cup (Chesterland, Ohio/Gilmour Academy) and Roush. Cup scored an ace to make it 9-6. A kill by Hannah Kutny (Clifton Park, N.Y./Catholic Central) started a 3-0 run to make it 14-10 SFU. After Roush scored another point to make it 17-14, LIU Brooklyn scored nine of the next 11 points to take a 23-19 lead. Amelia Metzler (Littleton, Colo./Chatfield) scored to make it 24-21, but a kill from the Blackbirds gave LIU a 25-21 set two victory. Metzler finished tied for the team lead with nine assists with Lauren Williams (Reno, Nev./Damonte Ranch) while also recording nine digs.
 
LIU jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the third set as it looked for the sweep. Emily Marcinowski (Strongsville, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) responded with back-to-back kills to make it 6-3, but the Blackbirds maintained a strong advantage throughout the early portion of the set. After taking a 13-9 lead, SFU scored four of the next five points thanks to scores by Kutny, Opera and Murdock. Kutny had six kills and 10 digs.
 
SFU took the next step and pulled even at 18-18 after consecutive kills by Kutny and another by Cup. After a Blackbird point, Opera tied the score again at 19-19. That would prove to be the final tie of the match, however. LIU scored the next two points, and SFU could climb no closer than a point back. Marcinowski scored to make it 23-22 LIU, but the Blackbirds scored the final two points of the set to win the match.
 
Opera and Sophie Murdock (Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion ) each had five kills. Jenna Veres (Independence, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) had 10 digs.
 
Saint Francis returns home for a pair of NEC matches next weekend. SFU hosts Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday and Sacred Heart on Sunday. Both matches begin at 1 p.m.