WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
>> Saint Francis University men's volleyball will take on LIU in the NEC Championship title game on Saturday, April 22 at 4:00 p.m.
>> The NEC Championship on Saturday game can be streamed live on
ESPN3 or
NEC Front Row and followed with
Live Stats.
>> The winner of Saturday's NEC Championship game will be crowned with the inaugural NEC Championship title as this is the first ever season of men's volleyball in the NEC.
THE WORD ON THE SHARKS
LIU comes into Saturday's championship game as the No. 3 seed. The Sharks defeated No. 6 Merrimack over four sets in the opening round of the NEC Tournament on Wednesday, April 19. The team then defeated No. 2 Daemen in straight sets in the semifinal round on Thursday, April 20 to advance to the NEC Championship.
The Sharks finished the regular season 16-11 overall and 10-4 in the NEC. Luke Chandler and Livan Moreno stand out for the team as hitters as both were named to the First-Team All-NEC. Livan and Chandler lead the team in kills this season with 301 and 292, respectively.
LAST TIME WE MET THE SHARKS
The Red Flash and Sharks have met twice this season in conference play. LIU defeated Saint Francis over a five-set thriller in the team's first meeting in Brooklyn, N.Y, while the Red Flash defeated the Sharks in straight sets in the team's matchup in Loretto, Pa. The Red Flash are 3-1 in the overall series against the Sharks.
LAST TIME OUT
The Red Flash head into Saturday's NEC title game on a current nine-game winning streak. The Red Flash finished the regular season 15-11 overall and 10-2 in the NEC to earn the NEC Regular Season Champions title to host the NEC Tournament as the No. 1 seed. Saint Francis most recently defeated Sacred Heart in straight sets on Thursday, April 20 in the NEC semifinal round to advance to the championship game against LIU Saturday.
Blake Liprando and
Andrew Deardorff continue to lead the Red Flash as hitters for a combined 459 kills for the outside duo. In addition,
Brandon Dunz and
Thomas Leahey lead the Red Flash at the net with a combined 154 total blocks for the middle blockers.
Ryan Parker continues to lead the team as the setter this season with 726 assists on the season.
UP NEXT
Saturday's game will be the final time the Red Flash compete this season as the inaugural season of NEC men's volleyball does not include an automatic bid into the NCAA Men's Volleyball Tournament.
