Flash Points: 

• Breanna Opera (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster ) led SFU with eight kills
• Jenna Veres (Independence, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) led three players in double figures with 16 digs

MOON TOWNSHIP, PA- Saint Francis fell to in-state and NEC rival Robert Morris on Saturday, falling 25-19, 25-15, 25-14.

The loss puts the Flash at 4-16 overall and 0-7 in conference while Robert Morris is 10-13 overall and 4-3 in the NEC. 

The Colonials got off to a quick start in the first set, winning five of the first seven points. Kills by Breanna Opera (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster ) and Christa White (Rochester, N.Y./Spencerport) looked to jump start the Flash in the set, but Robert Morris won three-straight points and five of seven to take a comfortable 15-7 lead. Saint Francis then roared back in the set, winning five straight points including four on Elise Dumouchelle (Ashburn, Va./Broad Run)'s serve to cut the RMU lead to 20-18. The run forced a Colonial time out and the team responded by winning four straight points to put them on the brink of the first set win. An Opera kill staved off one set point, but RMU would close it out at 25-19. 

Set two was a game of runs to start as Robert Morris jumped out to a 7-2 lead. The Flash responded, riding a pair of Emily Marcinowski (Strongsville, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) kills to bring the Flash back to within one at 8-7. The Colonials again grabbed the momentum as they won six of the next seven points to break out to a 14-8 lead. The Flash defense would spark a mini-rally as Sophia Esposito (Coraopolis, PA/Montour (Gardner-Webb)) and Opera combined for a block, cutting the RMU lead to four. That would be as close as the Flash would get as RMU again won six of the next seven points to break the set open as they went on to win 25-15. 

A Jenna Veres (Independence, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) ace and a Sophie Murdock (Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion ) kill cut into an early RMU lead in the third set. Murdock's kill made it 10-7 Colonials, but RMU would win the next seven points to put the set and the match out of reach. Saint Francis would get no closer than eight points the rest of the way, dropping the third set 25-14. 

Saint Francis remains on the road next weekend as they travel to Bryant and Central Connecticut next weekend. The Bulldogs are up first, match time is set for 5 p.m.