WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
>>Saint Francis University men's volleyball tallied their second straight win over Charleston in four sets (25-20, 25-21, 19-25, 26-24).
>>Nathan Zini tied his career-high in kills with 22, first reaching that mark on April 8, 2022 against NJIT. He also had a career-high .529 hitting percentage.
>>Andrew Deardorff had a strong game offensively as well, recording 14 kills. On defense, he also contributed four digs and five total blocks.
>>Elijah Lazor had a strong game for the Red Flash defense, tallying six blocks assisted and seven total blocks.
TURNING POINT OF THE GAME
The Golden Eagles took set three and went into set four with a chance to take it to a fifth set. They would hold a lead as big as 18-14 midway through the set, but the Red Flash responded with a 10-6 run to tie it up at 24 apiece. Zini would take over from there, recording back-to-back kills to give Saint Francis the match win.
FLASH MOMENTS
The two squads faced off in a close set one, with the two teams tied at 12 apiece. The Red Flash pulled away, pushing a lead as far as 24-19 behind an offense that recorded 18 kills and a .640 hitting percentage in the opening set. A Sam Lane kill would end the set for the Red Flash, 25-20.
The Golden Eagles got out to a 11-8 lead to start the second set, but Saint Francis roared back to tie it up at 17. With the teams at a stalemate, the Red Flash went on 8-3 run to run away with the set. Nathan Zini's 12th kill of the match sealed a 2-0 lead, 25-20.
Set three was dominated by Charleston, as they got out to a 10-6 lead and never looked back. The Golden Eagles extended their lead as far as 24-18 on its way to a 25-19 set win.
FLASH NUGGETS
Michael Mosbacher helped out the offense with nine kills. The Red Flash finished with 57 kills as a team, its second-best total of the season.
Peyton Blain led the team in digs with eight, increasing his Northeast Conference-leading total to 103.
UP NEXT
The Red Flash will open up conference play with two matches against LIU Feb. 16-17 at 7 p.m.
