CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Saint Francis men's volleyball team looks to start the 2021 season on a high note when the Red Flash takes on Limestone and Queens this weekend.
THE MATCHUPS: Saint Francis (0-0) at Queens (0-0), vs. Limestone (0-0)
Location: Charlotte, N.C.
Date and Time: vs. Limestone – Friday, Jan. 15 – 2 p.m.
vs. Queens – Friday, Jan. 15 – 7 p.m.; Saturday, Jan. 16 – 3 p.m.
Watch: Queens Sports Network
Live Stats: Queens Sports Network
SCOUTING LIMESTONE
Limestone opens the season against Saint Francis after finishing last season at 13-5 with a 5-4 record in the Conference Carolinas. Limestone was 2-1 against common opponents last season in which the Red Flash also went 2-1.
The Saints return their leader in kills, Francisco Salinger Cenzual, who registered 168 last season. They also return their assist leader, Christos Gkitersos, block leader, Niall Burton, and Michal Podgorzak, who led the team in digs.
SCOUTING QUEENS
Queens will also play their first match of the season against Saint Francis. They are coming off a 2020 season that saw a 6-9 record with a 2-1 record in the Independent Volleyball Association. The only common opponent the Royals and the Red Flash shared was Lincoln Memorial, who both teams lost to.
The Royals return their top five in kills from last season: Tristan Santoyo, Nic Cavallaro, Josh Bragg, JP Payne, and Cody Nix. They also return their starting setter, sophomore Brandon Grabow. Nix and Santoyo also led Queens in total blocks in 2020.
SERIES HISTORY
SFU vs. Limestone, SFU leads 1-0
Previous Matchup: March 11, 2016 – SFU won, 3-1
SFU vs. Queens, SFU leads 2-0
Previous Matchup: Feb. 10, 2019 – SFU won, 3-1
THE WAIT IS OVER
Friday will mark the Red Flash's first match in 315 days, with their most recent match being a loss to No. 9 Pepperdine in Malibu.
EXPERIENCE
With the exception of the five freshman, Saint Francis has 13 players on the roster with game experience from last season. SFU will look to this experience for strong bench depth to support a starting lineup that played nearly 50 sets together last year.
Michael Fisher, Blake Liprando, Roman Szwabinsky, and Joshua Blair were the top four in sets played last year, with Thomas Leahey, AJ Schmidt, Nicholas Pozzuto, and Braden Richard coming into the mix later on in the season to contribute for the Red Flash.
NEXT UP
Following the weekend in Charlotte, the Red Flash will travel back to Loretto to open the home slate against King on Jan. 22 and 23.
Follow Saint Francis Men's Volleyball on Twitter and Instagram to get up-to-date information and a behind-the-scenes look at the Red Flash.
To learn more about Saint Francis University, visit francis.edu.
