NEWARK, N.J. – The Red Flash men's volleyball team is heading to New Jersey this weekend, continuing its road trip against No. 14 NJIT on Thursday and Friday.
Saint Francis will look to pick up its first conference win of the season, which would also snap a current 10-match skid.
The Matchup: Saint Francis (1-12, 0-6) vs. No. 14 NJIT (5-3, 5-1)
Location: NJIT Wellness and Events Center (Newark, N.J.)
Game 1: Thursday, Feb. 25 – 7:00 p.m.
Watch: America East TV
Live Stats: Sidearm Stats
Game 2: Friday, Feb. 26 – 7:00 p.m.
Watch: America East TV
Live Stats: Sidearm Stats
SCOUTING THE HIGHLANDERS
NJIT comes into the weekend ranked No. 14, moving up one spot from last week. Their No. 15 ranking was the first time the Highlanders have earned a Top-15 spot in program history. After beginning their season 0-2, NJIT has piled up five wins in six matches to sit at 5-3 overall and 5-1 in EIVA play, placing them in second with No. 10 Penn State and behind first place No. 12 George Mason.
The Highlanders opened their season in Loretto for the Red Flash Invitational, falling to Loyola and No. 4 Lewis. Their 5-1 conference record includes a split with Penn State, and two wins against both Sacred Heart and Charleston.
NJIT is led by outside hitter Alvaro Gimeno, who leads the team with 106 kills in 28 sets. Behind him is Julian Meissner with 98. The Highlanders have four other players with double-digit kills, including three with more than 30. Passing for NJIT is Griffin Fieseler, who has 271 of the team's 329 assists.
On defense, Martin De Chavarria has picked up 27 total blocks (10 solo, 17 asst.). The Highlanders have five more players with 10 or more total blocks, including two with at least 15.
SERIES HISTORY
NJIT leads the all-time series, 28-22. Currently, the Highlanders have won two in a row against the Red Flash, but the teams are 3-3 in the last six. Last season, only one match was played between the teams, a 3-1 NJIT win in Loretto. In that match, Michael Fisher led all players with 16 kills, and Roman Szwabinsky led all players with 28 assists.
LAST TIME OUT
Last weekend, the Red Flash fell, 3-0, on Friday and Saturday against George Mason. SFU held leads in four of the six total sets played, but Mason was able to battle back in each for two wins.
RANKED OPPONENTS
After playing five matches against ranked opponents last season and compiling a 1-4 record, the Red Flash has already played five matches against ranked opponents this season, with two more this weekend. After this weekend, Saint Francis is scheduled to play six more of these such matches. Currently, the Red Flash sits 0-5 against ranked opponents this season.
EIVA INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS
Currently, the Red Flash sit last in the EIVA, but have a handful of players in the top-five of the conference in individual stats. Michael Fisher sits at fourth with 85 total kills and third with 214 total attacks. Roman Szwabinsky is fourth in assists per set with 8.37. Zac Cabral rounds out the top-five in blocks per set, averaging 0.92.
Joshua Blair and Szwabinsky are second and fifth in the conference in total blocks, with Blair at 4-23-27 and Szwabinsky at 4-21-25. Finally, the Red Flash have three of the top-five in total digs in the conference. Matthew Menosky is second with 67, AJ Schmidt is third with 59, and Szwabinsky is tied for fifth with 49.
RED FLASH STATISTICAL LEADERS
KILLS – Michael Fisher (3.54/set)
ASST – Roman Szwabinsky (8.37/set)
DIGS – AJ Schmidt (1.51/set)
TOTAL BLOCKS – Thomas Leahey (0.95/set)
SERVICE ACES – Zac Cabral (0.31/set)
NEXT UP
Following the weekend in New Jersey, the Red Flash will return home to take on Sacred Heart for the first two of a four-match home streak. Matches are set for Friday, March 6 at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, March 8 at 4:00 p.m. Broadcasts will be available live on NEC Front Row.
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.
