» The Saint Francis University men's volleyball team dropped a 3-1 match against the Mastodons of Purdue Fort Wayne Friday evening in Fort Wayne, Ind.
» Ryan Parker (East Northport, N.Y./Northport) recorded a new single game high of four service aces in Friday's match to beat his previous record of three service aces which he first secured against Charleston last season.
» Blake Liprando (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) and Nathan Zini (Pittsburgh, Pa./Seton-La Salle Catholic) each led the Red Flash squad in kills with 13 and 12, respectively.
After a service ace from Parker to start things off in the fourth set, the Red Flash were able to go on a 3-0 run and keep the lead until a kill from Purdue Fort Wayne made the score 9-8. However, it was a kill from Liprando followed by three consecutive service aces from Parker that gave the Red Flash the lead once again. Both programs continued to battle in the fourth set for each to tie and take the lead various times. With the score 24-21 in favor of the Mastodons, the Red Flash were able to go on a 3-0 run with kills from Liprando and Zini to tie the set, 24-24. However, Purdue Fort Wayne was able to respond with a kill and service ace to claim the extended fourth and final set, 26-24 to claim the match, 3-1.
FLASH MOMENTS
The Mastodons were able to get on the board first in the first set to go on a 2-0 run. However, the Red Flash bounced right back to tie the set up after a service error from Fort Wayne and a kill from
Joshua Blair (Matterson, Ill./ Marian Catholic) to make the score 2-2. Followed by a kill from Liprando, Saint Francis took its first lead of the night to make the score 3-2. Although the first set tied again on occasion, the Red Flash never allowed the Mastodons to take the lead again in this set. With the first set tied at 14-14, Saint Francis was able to dominate by going on a 10-5 run. After a service error from Purdue Fort Wayne, the Red Flash were able to win the first set, 25-22.
For a while in the midst of the first set, both teams went back and forth with service errors for a total of five errors during this span amongst both programs. However, Fort Wayne was finally able to come up with a serve, but
Andrew Deardorff (Itasca, Ill./Lake Park) was able to capitalize on the serve for a kill and a Red Flash point to make the score 15-14.
The Mastodons started off the second set to go on a 4-0 run. Deardorff was able to finally get the Red Flash on the board after a kill to make the score 4-1. Fort Wayne controlled the entire second set to lead by as much as 10 points to make the score 4-14. The Red Flash eventually found its stride in the second set to come back within two to make the score 23-21. However, the Mastodons were able to keep its lead throughout the entire second set to claim the set, 25-21.
The third set started off as a back-and-forth battle between both programs. The only time the Red Flash led during this set was early on, but that lead was stopped after three consecutive service aces from Purdue Fort Wayne to put them on top for the remainder of the third set. With the Red Flash down 23-15 in the set, the squad was able to go on a 6-0 run that featured a kill and two service aces from Blair to make the score 23-21. However, the Mastodons were able to fight back to go on and claim the third set, 25-21 to make them one set away from claiming the match.
FLASH NUGGETS
Saturday's match marks the first game this season the Red Flash have competed past three sets in a single game. The last time the Red Flash played beyond three sets was last season in a four-set victory over Charleston.
The Red Flash now fall to 6-14 in the team's overall record against Purdue Fort Wayne.
UP NEXT
Red Flash men's volleyball will stay in Fort Wayne, Ind. one more day for another match against Purdue Fort Wayne on Saturday, Jan. 29 at 3:00 p.m.
