WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
>> Saint Francis University men's volleyball will compete against Sacred Heart in the Northeast Conference (NEC) Semifinals on Thursday, April 20 at 7:00 p.m. in Loretto, Pa.
>> Thursday's game can be streamed live on
ESPN3 or
NEC Front Row and followed with
Live Stats.
THE WORD ON THE PIONEERS
Sacred Heart comes into Thursday's matchup after claiming a straight set win against St. Francis Brooklyn in the opening round of the NEC Tournament to advance to the semifinals. The Pioneers closed out the regular season 11-12 overall and 7-7 in the NEC.
Ife Loverton and Patrick Mucherino stand out for the Pioneers as the duo both earned a spot on the All-NEC Second Team. Loverton collected 172 kills and 17 service aces on the season and earned a team high of a .381 hitting percentage. Mucherino tallied the regular season out with 259 kills on the season and 25 service aces.
LAST TIME WE MET THE PIONEERS
The Red Flash and Pioneers have met twice this season as conference opponents. Saint Francis won both games in straight sets with the first meeting coming in Loretto, Pa. and the second in Fairfield, Conn. The Red Flash lead in the overall series against the Pioneers at 30-5.
LAST TIME OUT
The Red Flash come into Thursday's semifinal matchup after closing out the regular season with an eight-game winning streak and 12-2 in the NEC to allow the team to earn the NEC Regular Season Champions title. Saint Francis finished the regular season with a four-set victory over Daemen.
Ryan Parker and
Andrew Deardorff earned the title of All-NEC First Team, while
Brandon Dunz,
Thomas Leahey and
Blake Liprando were named to the All-NEC Second Team.
Parker leads the Red Flash as the setter with 692 assists this season, while Deardorff and Liprando stand out as outside hitters for the team. Deardorff with 203 kills and Liprando with 231 kills on the regular season. Dunz and Leahey lead the team as middle blockers with a combined 146.0 total blocks on the season.
UP NEXT
A win over Sacred Heart would allow the Red Flash to move on to the NEC Championship game against the winner of the Daemen and LIU semifinal game on Thursday, April 20 at 4:00 p.m.
