WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
>> Saint Francis men's volleyball will face former Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) rivals George Mason and Charleston in the NEC-EIVA Challenge at DeGol Arena Feb. 28-Mar. 1.

>> Friday's match on the 28th will begin at 8 while the following day's battle will commence at 7.

>> LIU will play both EIVA members as well in the neutral matches. The Sharks will play the Golden Eagles Friday at 5:30 and Saturday's showdown with the Patriots will be at 4.

>> NEC Front Row; Live Stats

THE WORD ON GEORGE MASON & CHARLESTON
Coming into the season as the No. 18 team in the AVCA Top-20 Coaches Poll, George Mason has started the year 8-5 and are 2-1 in EIVA matches. The Patriots are currently on a four-game winning streak, including a 3-1 victory over Northeast Conference (NEC) opponent FDU on February 8. Along with this weekend's matchups with the Red Flash and Sharks, George Mason will face Daemen on March 20.

Robert Evangelista (95) and Gio Collazo (90) lead the Patriots in kills. Collazo is also first on the team in digs (54) and aces (16). Troy McDonald engineers the offense with 329 assists.

Middle blocker Alexander Lillie has the most blocks with 41 total. The freshman is second in the National Collegiate division with 18 solo.

Charleston began 2025 with a 6-7 overall record, including winning three of their first four matches in conference play over the last two weeks against former NEC member Sacred Heart and Princeton. The Golden Eagles split their season series with the previously 20th-ranked Tigers, with their one victory being in a 3-1 decision on February 21.

Xander Bomert (140), Kai Cousins (138), and Joonathan Salpakari (101) have all eclipsed 100 kills in their first 13 matches. Paul Stommel guides the Golden Eagles' offense with 381 assists and eight service aces. 

On Charleston's defense, libero Curtis Raines leads the way in digs with 70. Erel Bardah is the beast around the net with 23 blocks (three solo).

LAST TIME WE MET THE PATRIOTS & GOLDEN EAGLES
Saint Francis and George Mason will be playing in their 64th matchup on Friday. The former foes regularly played one another as EIVA members from 1994-2022. The Patriots hold a 45-18 series advantage, which includes the 3-1 win in the two teams' last showdown on March 2, 2024.

The Red Flash and Charleston will compete against one another for the 20th time since the 2015 season, the first year of the Golden Eagles volleyball program. After Charleston joined the EIVA in 2016, the two teams became regular opponents. Saint Francis leads the series 14-5, including a series sweep in the 2024 campaign. They won the first matchup on February 9, 3-0, and followed it up with a 3-1 victory on the 10th. 

LAST TIME OUT
Saint Francis split their season series with Dominican New York last weekend. The Chargers took the first match on the 21st, 3-2, but the Red Flash bounced back with a 3-1 win the following night.

Kyle Charles earned his fifth First Point/NEC Rookie of the Week honor and fourth prime performer  after registering a season-high 62 assists (12.4 per set), five digs, two blocks, and two kills in the first matchup. The freshman setter led the Red Flash offense to totals of 71 kills and a .373 hitting percentage. He now has 343 dimes in his first 10 career starts and 350 for the season overall.

Andrew Deardorff claimed prime performer for the fifth time this season after posting 45 kills, 10 digs, four aces and two blocks. The senior outside hitter 21 and 24 kills in back-to-back matches and has eclipsed 20 or more in four of the last duels. He is up 153 since Jan. 18 against Rockhurst and has racked up 175 for the year. From the service line, he also leads in service aces with 21.

Brady Stump notched his first prime performer of the 2025 campaign after recording 26 kills, seven digs, five assisted blocks, and five aces. The junior outside hitter hit a new-career high in the first matchup, racking up 16 kills on a .444 hitting percentage. He added six digs for good measure. The following night's match saw him lead the squad in aces with four. 

Libero Richard Kaminski had a career-high 14 digs and another 10 in back-to-back double-digit dig performances against Dominican. The senior brought his season total up to 63.

Middle blocker Sam Lane is up to 31 total blocks this year after tallying four blocks in each match last weekend. The junior middle blocker also recorded a career-high 10 kills in match #1.

NEXT UP FOR FLASH
Men's Volleyball will travel to the Carolinas to face Queens University of Charlotte and Erskine March 4-5.