MOREHEAD, KY- Freshmen Nicole Adams (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa East) led the offense with 13 kills while Cecilia Esposito (Coraopolis, Pa./Montour) added five blocks but three close sets all went the way of the Mercer Bears in the Red Flash's final match at the Morehead State Comfort Inn-Vitational.
 
The Bears came out on top 25-21, 25-23, 25-21 despite Adams' nice day and the strong block of Esposito.
 
 
SET ONE

• It was a game of rallies early as SFU and Mercer each won four points in a row before the match settled down tied at five
• The Red Flash took their largest lead of the set after a 5-0 run off Elise Dumouchelle's (Ashburn, Va./Broad Run) serve to lead 13-8, the run included an ace and two Adams' kills
• The Bears chipped away at the lead, eventually taking a 20-19 edge and forcing a SFU timeout
• A pair of Bears' kills came out of the break and SFU was only able to get within one at 22-21 before Mercer closed the set at 25-21

 
SET TWO

• Mercer carried the momentum into the start of the second set, scoring six of the first eight points, forcing a SFU timeout
• The Bears would lead by as many as seven in the set before the Red Flash embarked on a furious rally
• An Esposito kill and block was part of a 4-0 run that got SFU within three at 20-17 and forced a Mercer timeout
• SFU would tie the set at 22 off another Esposito block and the Red Flash defense forced a trio of miscues from Mercer
• The Red Flash took a late lead at 23-22, but Mercer rallied to win the final three points of the set

 
SET THREE

• The teams would split the first six points of the set before the Bears got rolling and would take a 9-5 lead, forcing a SFU timeout
• SFU would get going off a Madi Tyus (Plano, TX/Bishop Lynch) ace and a kill from Alexis Lambert (McKinney, Tx./McKinney-Boyd) to pull back within three
• The Bears would extend the lead to as many as seven at 22-15 before the Red Flash again closed strong
• The Red Flash won five of six points, highlighted by another Tyus ace and kills from Adams and Daysha Shamlin (Bear, Del./Tower Hill)
• SFU would get to within three but could get no closer as Mercer again closed the set, and the match at 25-21

 
LOOKING AHEAD
It will be a busy week for the Red Flash, all within the Keystone State. SFU will be at Duquesne on Tuesday for a 6 p.m. tilt with the Dukes. Next weekend, the Red Flash are in Philadelphia for the Valley Forge Classic where they will take on Lehigh and Radford on Friday and host Penn on Saturday.