LORETTO, Pa. – The Saint Francis women's volleyball team fell to Eastern Kentucky in three sets on Friday night on the first day of the Red Flash Classic at DeGol Arena. The Colonels won, 25-21, 25-18, 25-20. Breanna Opera (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster ) led the SFU offense with nine kills while Jenna Veres (Independence, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) had 23 digs.
 
Opera and Sophie Murdock (Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion ) led the Red Flash with three kills apiece in the first set. EKU used an 8-1 run to turn a 5-4 deficit to a 12-6 lead. Trailing 18-10, the Flash went on a 5-0 run that included an ace from Kelsey Roush (Johnstown, Pa./Richland) and back-to-back-to-back kills by Opera. Murdock had two kills in the next four points to keep the deficit at three points, but EKU scored four points in a row to take a 24-17 before winning, 25-21.
 
In set two, the Flash jumped out to a 6-2 lead thanks to an ace from Amanda Schiavo (Moon Township, Pa./Moon Area (Bowling Green)). Kills by Sophia Esposito (Coraopolis, PA/Montour (Gardner-Webb)) and Roush made it 9-7 Flash, but Eastern Kentucky used a 5-1 run later in the game to lead, 19-15. Emily Marcinowski (Strongsville, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) helped spark a mini-comeback by SFU. Her kill from Amelia Metzler (Littleton, Colo./Chatfield) made it 20-18. EKU finished the set with the final five points, though, to win, 25-18.
 
In the third set, EKU jumped out to a 10-6 lead despite two early kills from Opera. An ace by Marcinowski cut the deficit to 11-9, and Opera sparked a four-point SFU stretch that briefly gave the Flash a 13-12 lead. The Flash took an 18-16 lead on back-to-back kills by Marcinowski and Roush, but EKU responded with five in a row to lead, 21-18. SFU scored two straight to make it 21-20, but EKU finished the set with four straight points to win the match.
 
Metzler had 26 assists and 12 digs.
 
SFU hosts Navy at 1 p.m. tomorrow before closing the Red Flash Classic with a match against Iona at 7 p.m.