>> Allison Murray (Pittsburgh, Pa.) led the Red Flash offense with 16 kills.
TURNING POINT
With both teams determined to come out on top, the fourth set saw aggression on both sides of the net. Fueled by winning back-to-back sets, the Red Flash continued to score.
Skye Eicher (Rostraver Township, Pa.) drew first blood, knocking the ball off the hands of the Knights.
An all-out battle ensued, with FDU keeping the score close and Red Flash fans at the edge of their seats. With the score tied at 17 each, Murray tallied two impressive kills, knocking one off of FDU's libero and the other finding a gap on the floor. An error by the Knights gave the Red Flash a 20-17 lead, keeping energy high on the Saint Francis bench.
FDU tied the score back up at 23-23, but their own errors would lock down the win for the Red Flash. The Knights sailed the ball outside to cause the match point, and, with Red Flash fans on their feet, FDU could not keep the ball inside, the Red Flash winning 25-23.
FLASH MOMENTS
The Red Flash held a narrow 21-19 lead at the end of the second set but kept the momentum to win the set. A kill by Korrin Burns (Clarion, Pa.) earned the serve with Eicher pushing the Red Flash closer to set point. An attack error by the Knights brought up set point, but Burns, fueled by the Red Flash fans, landed an ace to tie the set score at one apiece.
Despite starting the third set behind, a seven-point run pushed the Red Flash ahead. Aubrey Deptula (Boca Raton, Fla.) and Murray dominated for Saint Francis, earning six of the seven points between them. Deptula's kill earned the serve off of a timeout by the Red Flash. Murray held strong at the front of the net, recording three consecutive kills and earning plenty of cheers from the fans in DeGol Arena. Deptula continued the excitement for the Red Flash tallying an ace and a kill. An error by FDU ended the Saint Francis run, with the Red Flash up 12-9. The Knights kept it close throughout the remainder of the set, but errors by FDU pushed the Red Flash to the win.
FLASH NUGGETS
Murray was in good company in kills for the Red Flash. Kori McClure (Westerville, Ohio), Eicher, and Burns were all in double digits, with McClure recording 11 and the Eicher-Burns duo tallying 10 each.
Burns also led the team in service aces with three.
Deptula was a force to be reckoned with at the net, registering two solo and four assisted blocks.
Three different players also recorded double-digit digs for the Red Flash defense. Eicher earned a double-double with 10 kills and 14 digs. Maggie Hogan (Northern Cambria, Pa.) and Emma Fenton (Latrobe, Pa.) tallied 13 and 11 digs, respectively.
UP NEXT
The Red Flash will play Saturday against LIU at 5 p.m. in DeGol Arena.
