BROOKLYN, NY- Five players had at least three kills but SFU's balance could not overcome LIU's momentum on their senior day, as the Blackbirds moved to 10-0 in NEC play with a straight-set victory.
 
LIU Brooklyn prevailed 25-17, 25-11, 25-12 as Saint Francis now sits at 3-7 in NEC play.
 
 
FIRST SET RECAP

• The Blackbirds got off to a quick start, getting five kills before their first error
• The fast start forced a SFU timeout as LIU took an early 8-3 lead
• Alexis Lambert (McKinney, Tx./McKinney-Boyd) had a pair of kills early to pace the offense, continuing her strong play
• A block from Daysha Shamlin (Bear, Del./Tower Hill) and Madi Tyus (Plano, TX/Bishop Lynch) forced the first LIU error of the match but LIU maintained a four-point lead
• A second kill from Madi Tyus (Plano, TX/Bishop Lynch) got the Red Flash within three at 12-9 but LIU rallied for four-straight points to make it 16-9 Blackbirds and force a second SFU timeout
• LIU would continue to grind out long rallies, stretching their lead to nine at 20-11
• Kills from Nicole Adams (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa East) and Tyus shrunk the LIU lead to five, but the Blackbirds stretched their lead back out to seven
• The Blackbirds closed out the set off a service error to win 25-17

SECOND SET RECAP

• The Red Flash were forced to take a timeout after three-straight points by LIU gave them a 5-2 lead
• LIU extended their run to six-straight points until a Lambert kill made it 8-3 LIU
• Another kill from Lambert and a pair of LIU errors shaved the Blackbird lead to three
• The Blackbirds responded with four-straight points to build the LIU lead to 14-7
• Kimmy Sweeney (Broadview Heights, OH/Beaumont School) came in at setter and immediately fed Tyus for a kill to try to jumpstart the offense
• The Red Flash could not get consecutive points to build a run as LIU maintained their lead, forcing a SFU timeout at 17-9 LIU
• Out of the timeout, the Blackbirds extended the lead to as many as 11 off a service ace and two kills
• LIU kept the momentum on their side, closing out the set at 25-11

THIRD SET RECAP

• A pair of Emily Pieper (Paonia, Colo./Paonia) kills paced the Red Flash early in the set
• A pair of Viktoria Fink kills got the Blackbirds going as they ripped off a pair of 4-0 runs to grab a 9-3 lead and force a Red Flash timeout
• The timeout couldn't slow the LIU offensive momentum as they stretched the lead out to eight at 12-4
• SFU got a solid contribution off the bench from Keara McGraw (Austin, TX/James Bowie) in the third set, getting a pair of kills
• Pieper continued her strong third set with her third and fourth kills of the set as SFU traded points with the Blackbirds
• Sophia Esposito (Coraopolis, PA/Montour (Gardner-Webb)) closed strong with a pair of kills and a solo block in the third set
• LIU proved too much in the end, closing out the match in straight sets

 
LOOKING AHEAD
The Red Flash face a pivotal match on Saturday against the St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers. First serve from the Pope Athletic Center is set for 4 p.m.