FAIRFIELD, CT – The St. Francis College Brooklyn men's volleyball team (3-3) dominated Sacred Heart (1-17, 0-14 EIVA) en route to a doubleheader sweep on Tuesday. The Terriers began the day by defeating the Pioneers in straight sets in the first match of the doubleheader. After dropping the opening set of the second match, St. Francis won three sets in a row to pick up the victory over Sacred Heart in four sets.
The win in the first set marked the first time this season that the Terriers knocked off an opponent in straight sets. St. Francis handled Sacred Heart in the opening set, 25-19. The Terriers then pulled away in the second set by the final tally of 25-21. St. Francis closed the match out by downing the Pioneers, 25-17, to pick up its first road win of the 2021 campaign.
After falling behind early in the match, the Terriers collected themselves and put together a come-from-behind win. St. Francis fell to Sacred Heart, 25-18, in the opening set of the second match of the day. From there, the Terriers took the next three sets as they rolled to the doubleheader sweep. St. Francis edged Sacred Heart, 25-22, in the second set, and then took down the Pioneers by that same score, 25-22, in the third set. The Terriers sealed the victory in the fourth set by besting Sacred Heart, 25-21, in the frame.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Match 1: St. Francis Brooklyn – 3 | Sacred Heart – 0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-17)
- Freshman Aramis Rodriguez was extremely efficient for the Terriers as he helped them pick up the win in straight sets. Rodriguez hit a blistering .409, recorded 12.5 points, and 11 kills. He also added three digs over the course of three sets. It was the first time in his career that he tallied 10 or more kills in a match.
- Sophomore opposite hitter David Vorfi racked up 18 points as he totaled 12 kills, four service aces, and two block assists. Additionally, he hit 2.67 and picked up a team-high seven digs. The 12 kills were tied for the second-most that he tallied in a match this season. His four service aces were both a season and career-high and his seven digs were the most he tallied in a match this season.
- Sophomore outside hitter Bartek Zielinski hit .333, registered 6.5 points, and six kills. Zielinski also finished with six digs in the contest.
- Sophomore setter Andrew Piloto dished out 34 assists as he paced the Terriers' offensive attack. It was the fourth time this season that the totaled 30 or more assists in a match.
- Freshman middle blocker Sean Schmutz hit .750 and recorded three kills, two block assists, and an ace in the win.
- Senior libero Derrick Truong recorded five digs, while sophomore libero Dominick Pikura picked up three digs.
Match 2: St. Francis Brooklyn – 3 | Sacred Heart – 1 (18-25, 25-22, 25-22, 25-21)
- Zielinski led the Terriers to victory with a double-double performance. The sophomore hit .344, tallied 21 points, which included a career-high 19 kills. He finished the match with a career-high 10 digs as he earned his first career double-double.
- Rodriguez carried over his hot play into the second match as he hit .357 and totaled 15 points for the Terriers. The freshman registered a career-high 14 kills and seven digs.
- Sophomore middle blocker James Henneberry was a force in the middle as he hit a staggering .429 and put down eight kills.
- Vorfi finished with eight kills and six digs, while sophomore opposite hitter Christian Prayer totaled five kills and four digs.
- Piloto once again was the catalyst behind the Terriers' offensive attack as he handed out a season-high 51 assists. The 51 assists tied Piloto's career-high which he last set on January 25, 2020, at Elms.
- Pikura and Truong each picked up three digs apiece.
