>> Game Notes
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
>> Saint Francis men's volleyball will open the 2025 campaign with a trip to California to take on #18 UC San Diego on Jan. 8 and No. 1 UCLA on Jan. 10. Both matches will start at 10:00 p.m. EST/7:00 p.m. PST.

>> The two matches will be the first of an eight-game road stretch to start the season.

>> UC San Diego links: Live stats | ESPN+

>> UCLA links: Live stats | B1G+

2025 SEASON PREVIEW
The Red Flash are coming off a 2024 campaign that saw them finish with an overall record of 20-9, including a perfect 12-0 in Northeast Conference play to claim their second straight NEC Regular Season Championship. It is the first time in program history that the team finished the regular season undefeated against their conference slate. They also achieved the most wins by a Saint Francis team since the 1995 squad that won 23 matches.

Saint Francis earned the first seed and hosted the NEC Championship for the second year in a row. They defeated No. 6 seed Sacred Heart in a sweep in the semifinals to advance to the championship game versus #2 seeded Daemen. The group put up a valiant effort, but fell in four sets to the Wildcats.

The longest tenured coach in school history and back-to-back NEC Coach of the Year Mike Rumbaugh is back for his 27th season. He reached career win no. 300 last season in a 3-0 sweep over Central State on Jan. 20, 2024. With 319 career wins, he is the all-time winningest Saint Francis coach.

Nathan Zini collected AVCA All American honorable mention, NEC Player of the Year, and first team All-NEC after registering 410 kills, 125 digs, and 63 service aces in 2024. The 63 aces were tied for the most among all Division I and II men's volleyball. 

Along with Zini's 64 aces, the Red Flash led both divisions in total service aces with 235. Brady Stump (36) and Michael Mosbacher (27) are back for their junior and senior season, respectively.

Two-time first team All-NEC outside hitter Andrew Deardorff is back for his senior season. In 2024, the senior compiled career-high stats in kills (275), blocks (41), and service aces (24). The senior also recorded 116 digs.

In total, fifteen players will be returning for 2025. The newcomers on the squad are Avery Farabaugh, Hayden Spears, Luke Bockius, Kyle Charles, Ryan Keco and Joaquim Cariaso. 

THE WORD ON UC SAN DIEGO
UC San Diego completed the 2024 campaign with a 12-15 overall record, including a 4-6 record against the Big West Conference. They were beaten by CSUN, 3-0, in the first round of the Big West championship. First team All-Big West and AVCA All American Honorable Mention nominee Anthony Cherfan, who was the team's leader in kills (279) and service aces (37) in 2024, is back for his senior season. All Big-West honorable mention Sebastian Lara is also returning, having been second on the Tritons with 210 kills. The team as a whole has been ranked no. 18 in the AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll.

THE WORD ON UCLA
The back-to-back national champion UCLA Bruins finished last season 26-5 and capped it off with a 3-1 win over Long Beach State in the national championship match. The Bruins have been tabbed no. 1 in the AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll and will be under the guidance of first year head coach John Hawks. Along with new leadership, AVCA First Team All-American setter Andrew Rowan will be back for his junior season. Rowan finished 2024 with 1,157 assists, second-most in Division I and II.

LAST TIME WE FACED THE TRITONS AND BRUINS
It will be the second time that Saint Francis has faced their first two opponents. UC San Diego won the first matchup in 2009, 3-1, and UCLA took the lone duel, 3-1, in 2015.

The match on the 10th against top-ranked UCLA will be the first time that the Red Flash have played a team ranked number one since Jan. 24, 2015 versus Loyola Chicago. The home team took the reigning national champion Ramblers to five sets thanks to double digit kills from Jeremy Gaston (17) and Stephen Braswell (10). Loyola Chicago went on to repeat as champions, and Saint Francis was one of four teams that year to take two or more sets off the champs.

NEXT UP FOR FLASH
Saint Francis will return to action in Chicago, Ill. when they face Loyola Chicago and Rockhurst Jan. 17-18. The first match against the Ramblers will be at 8:00 p.m. EST/7:00 p.m. est on the 17th, and the following day's affair versus Rockhurst will occur at 2:00 p.m. EST/1:00 p.m. EST. Both matches will occur at Loyola Chicago's Gentile Arena, and the neutral site match on the 18th will be considered a home battle for the Red Flash.