Loretto, Pa- The Saint Francis volleyball team opens the 2015 regular season when they take on four schools at the 2015 Towson Invite.
 
About the Flash
 
The Flash held their annual Red/Black scrimmage, which officially closed the pre-season. Saint Francis is picked to finish fourth in the Northeast Conference in the annual pre-season coaches' poll. Senior Hannah Kutny (Clifton Park, N.Y./Catholic Central) and junior Breanna Opera (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster ) headline the offense and each averaged over three kills per set last season. Defensively, Jenna Veres (Independence, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) returns after a highly successful freshman season that saw her set a new single-season record for digs in a season, notching 465 in 29 matches.
 
About the Invite
 
The Red Flash will take on the Manhattan Jaspers on Friday morning at 10 a.m. and the Hornets of Delaware State at 4:45 p.m.. On Saturday, the Flash takes on the Tennessee Volunteers at 2:30 p.m. and the host Towson Tigers at 7p.m. Live stats and video are available free of charge for all four of the matches and links are provided in the volleyball schedule page.
 
 
About the Jaspers
 
The Jaspers are coming off a 21-win season in 2014 and reached the Metro-Atlantic semi-finals. They are picked to finish second in the MAAC in the pre-season poll. Claire Van Dyk and Allie Yamashiro were named to the pre-season all-conference team and are players to watch. The Flash and Jaspers have met three times overall, most recently in 2002. The Jaspers have won all three previous meetings.
 
About the Hornets
 
Delaware State will have a new look for 2015, brining in their fourth different coach over the past five seasons. Delaware State went 1-26 last season and 1-11 in the MEAC. Jasmine Jackson is the player to watch, leading DSU and finishing top-10 in the MEAC with 2.92 kills per set. The Flash and Hornets have met eight times with the Flash holding a 5-3 edge. They last met in 2012 with Saint Francis winning in four sets.
 
About the Volunteers
 
Tennessee is picked 13th in the Southeast Conference pre-season poll after a one-SEC-win in 2014. Lexi Dempsey is back for the Vols after leading them and finishing ninth in the SEC at over eight assists per set. Iesha Bryant had a strong freshman season defensively, finishing ninth in the SEC at nearly a block per set. This will be the first time in school history Saint Francis has taken on the Vols in volleyball.
 
About the Tigers
The host school is coming off a successful 27-5 campaign in 2014 and is picked fifth in the Colonial Athletic Association.  Senior Haley Pa'akaula was named to the pre-season all-conference team and like Kutny and Opera, averaged over three kills per set last season. The Flash will be looking to break through against the Tigers, Saint Francis is winless in six previous match-ups with the last one taking place in 2009. 

Next Time Out
The Flash will be back in action on Tuesday when they travel to Youngstown to take on the Youngstown State Penguins. Match time is set for 7 p.m.