Flash Points: 

• SFU was led by Roush, Opera and Murdock, who each had seven kills
• Sophia Esposito (Coraopolis, PA/Montour (Gardner-Webb)) had 2.5 total blocks
• The Flash head to New Jersey to face FDU tomorrow

FAIRFIELD, CONN.- Saint Francis hung with Sacred Heart in their conference road opener but the Pioneers won three hotly contested sets on Saturday 25-20, 25-19, 25-17. 

The Red Flash had a very balanced offense on Saturday, with three players leading the way with seven kills and Emily Marcinowski (Strongsville, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) adding six of her own. Marcinowski also added 10 digs to lead the team while Sophia Espositio had the lone team solo block and led the way with three block assists. 

In the first set, Sacred Heart jumped out to the early lead, forcing Saint Francis to play catch-up. The Flash fell behind by as many as four in the early going but rallied behind Marcinowski's serve to run off six of seven points to take a 16-15 lead. A pair of Christa White (Rochester, N.Y./Spencerport) kills headlined the run, but the turning point of the set came with the teams tied at 17. Sacred Hear ran off three-straight points and seven of eight total to go up 24-18. The Flash defense forced an error and blocked another attack to keep the set alive, but could get no closer as the Pioneers closed out the set at 25-20. 

In the second set, the teams traded early rallies and split the first 18 points. The Pioneers used another rally to take control of the set. Sacred Heart ran off six of seven points to go up 15-10. Saint Francis rallied back to within two at 17-15, using strong defense and a pair of Kelsey Roush (Johnstown, Pa./Richland) kills. SFU could pull no closer than two the rest of the set, before Sacred Heart won the final four points of the set and take it 25-19. 

Sacred Heart grabbed momentum early in the third set, forcing at Saint Francis timeout after taking a 7-3 lead. A block from Esposito and a kill from Breanna Opera (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster ) looked to give SFU momentum as it cut a building SHU lead to three. The story of the match was the Pioneers continually answering the Flash, they responded with seven-straight points to lead 18-8. Saint Francis was able to rally to close to within six off an Opera kill and a Roush ace, but it would be too much Sacred Heart in the third set, closing out the match at 25-17 in the third. 

The loss drops Saint Francis to 0-3 in the NEC and 4-12 overall while Sacred Heart stays perfect at 4-0 in the NEC and moves to 10-6 overall. SFU will look for their first conference win of the season tomorrow when they face Fairleigh Dickinson in New Jersey. Sunday's match is set for 1 p.m.