Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Saint Francis University Athletics

MVB
3
Winner Saint Francis (PA) SF-PA 6-5,1-0 NEC
2
LIU LIU 3-9,0-1 NEC
Winner
Saint Francis (PA) SF-PA
6-5,1-0 NEC
3
Final
2
LIU LIU
3-9,0-1 NEC
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 5 F
Saint Francis (PA) SF-PA 25 25 22 24 15 (3)
LIU LIU 23 22 25 26 13 (2)

Game Recap: Men's Volleyball |

Men’s Volleyball Earns First Conference Win Over LIU In Five Sets

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW 
>>Saint Francis University men's volleyball claimed their first Northeast Conference win over LIU in five sets on Friday night(25-23, 25-22, 22-25, 24-26, 15-13).

>>Nathan Zini (Pittsburgh, Pa./Seton-La Salle Catholic) racked up 18 kills, six digs, and two service aces. Over the last four matches combined, he has 74 kills.

>>Andrew Deardorff (Itasca, Ill./Lake Park) was second in kills for the Red Flash with 15. He also tacked on nine digs and two service aces. 

>>Ryan Parker (Long Island, N.Y./Northport) had a dominant game on both sides, collecting 49 assists, 13 digs, six total blocks and three service aces. He now has 379 assists on the season.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME 
The Sharks took sets three and four to tie the match going into the final set. The two teams got into a tight battle in their first matchup since the 2023 NEC Championship game, with the score tied at 10 midway through. The Red Flash took over from there with a 4-2 run and held off a comeback after an attack error from LIU to take the first match of the series.

FLASH MOMENTS
Set one started out close, with both teams tied at 10 apiece. The Sharks proceeded to go on a 7-2 run, and carried the momentum to a 22-19 lead going into the final serves. After a Red Flash timeout, they took over the set with a 6-1 run to give them a 1-0 lead, 25-23.

Saint Francis got off to a lightning fast start in the second set, taking a 8-4 lead. They kept the lead throughout the rest of the set, but LIU kept it as close as 23-22 at the end. With the potential comeback on the horizon, a Deardorff kill and an attack error from the Sharks helped give the Red Flash a 2-0 lead in the match.

The third set saw both teams tied at 12 to start it out. Playing for the chance to keep the match going, LIU responded with a 9-4 run and never gave up the lead. Saint Francis would make it 24-22 at the end, but a service error following would cut that short as the Sharks took set three.

Set four saw the Red Flash get out to a hot start, hoisting leads as large as 15-11 and 20-15. Following a LIU timeout after a Parker and Nicholas Lynch (Rochester, N.Y./McQuaid Jesuit) block, the Sharks swarmed in with a 11-4 run and a Arthur Sueur service ace completed the comeback to extend the match to a fifth set.

FLASH NUGGETS
Brady Stump (York, Pa./York Suburban) and Elijah Lazor (Parkesburg, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) each had eight kills on 10 attacks. Lazor added on two total blocks and digs on the defensive side as well.

Peyton Blain (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) had another double-digit total of digs with 12, increasing his Division-I leading total to 115. As a team, this year's squad recorded the most digs in a match since April 8, 2021 against Sacred Heart with 54.

On defense, Lynch had five total blocks and five digs.

UP NEXT
The Red Flash have another match with the Sharks tomorrow night at 7 p.m. The action can be followed on NEC Front Row and with live stats.

Print Friendly Version
Sidearm Sports, opens a new window