St. Francis Brooklyn Athletics

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS, N.Y. - It was meeting of the St. Francis institutions on Saturday night as the Terriers hosted Saint Francis (PA) for the first time. 

Their first time match as members of the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association played out in three close sets, as the Red Flash took a second win over the Terriers, 3-0. 

The Terriers played their best attacking set in the first (12-24, 3 E - .375 TA). The two teams played even through the first 20 points, until SFU broke open a 3-point lead on an Andrew Deardorff ace and a pair of kills but Thomas Leahey and Blake Liprando.

St. Francis chipped away at the lead as the first set wore on, and tied the set at 18 when Andrea Lancianese dumped one over the net off the set from Lucas Blanco. They would take advantage of a Red Flash service error late in the first to tie the set again, at 23-23, on a Jack Hershman kill. Saint Francis (PA) would take the next two, and score a first set win, 25-23.

The home team jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second set, capped off with one of David Vorfi's two aces on the night. SFBK played in front for the majority of the set, but SFU would go head, 15-13, thanks in part to two kills by Liprando and Ryan Parker. An attack error by Liprando later in the set would tie the set at 19, but the Red Flash would score the final 3 points in the set to take a 25-21 win, and go up 2-0 in the match. 

With the match on the line in the third set, Saint Francis worked hard to keep the Terriers off their collective front foot. The Red Flash went up 17-15 in the third on two SFBK attack errors. Hershman put the Terriers back within one, 18-17, on one of his 7 kills. Another pair of attack errors would put the set out of reach for St. Francis Brooklyn, as they went up 20-17, and would secure the match win, with a 25-22 third set. 

TEAM LEADERS

David Vorfi led the way for the Terriers with 11 kills, 2 aces and 14 points. He added 1 block and 5 digs. 

Jack Hershman paced his team with 7 digs and 2 blocks. 

Lucas Blanco totaled a team-high 23 assists. 

NEXT UP: St. Francis Brooklyn takes the floor again on Mar. 8 to face Edward Waters (FL). The match is set to begin at 6:00 p.m. and will stream live on NEC Front Row.