FAIRFIELD, CONN. (February 28, 2015)--Austin Arcala led all players with a season-best 18 kills as the Sacred Heart men's volleyball team stumbled against Saint Francis U Saturday night on Coach Bike Courts. Enzo Mackenzie (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) was right behind him with sixteen kills of his own as the Pioneers fell in three straight sets dropping their record to 4-8 overall and 1-4 against Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association opponents. The duo helped sophomore setter Eduardo Zardo (Brasilia, Brazil) rack up 44 assists, averaging 14.67 per set.

Sacred Heart jumped ahead early on and took a 4-1, but the Red Flash fought back to tie the score at four all. A big block by Ray Satagaj (Rocky Hill, Conn.) and Mackenzie put the Pioneers up 10-6. SHU earned yet another point from its blockers to stay in the lead 12-8. The block worked well in the first set for Sacred Heart, and it helped them go ahead again 14-9. A kill from Arcala, who totaled eight in the set, helped SHU maintain its five point lead 16-11. Satagaj put down a kill that positioned Sacred Heart within five points of capturing the set, 20-17. A well struck kill from Mackenzie put the score at 22-19 in favor of the Pioneers. Saint Francis U refused to just let SHU take the set, and they battled back to tie the score at 22 all. The score tied again at 23 and 24. Head Coach Kalani Efstathiou was forced to use a timeout as Sacred Heart suddenly found itself trailing 25-24 and in danger of losing the set. A timely SHU block tied the score at 25 and extended the set. Both teams proceeded to trade blows, and the score would tie an astonishing ten additional times. In the end, the Pioneers dropped the set 37-35. 

Satagaj opened scoring in the second set with a solo block to give SHU an early lead. Two more kills from Arcala put the Pioneers ahead 5-1 in the early going. The Red Flash worked to close the gap to one point, 12-11. SHU then fell behind 13-12, and this prompted the Pioneers to call another timeout. Out of the break, Arcala put down a kill to tie the score at 13. After a back-and-forth rally, Arcala recorded yet another kill to put Sacred Heart ahead 15-13. Saint Francis eventually drew the score level at 18, 19, 20, and 21. With neither side willing to give an inch, the score tied once again at 22. After a red card was issued against SHU, the Pioneers elected to call a timeout as they found themselves down 24-22 and on the verge of falling behind two sets to none. Sacred Heart was unable to regain its composure and ultimately dropped the set 25-23. 

The Pioneers needed to find their form in the third set in hopes of avoiding the sweep. It did not seem as if they would, as Saint Francis U quickly took a five point lead, 6-1. The rookie Trent Thompson (Kailua, Hawaii) struck a kill to narrow the gap to four, 7-3. SHU began to gain momentum, and a kill from Doug Dzema (Manalapan, N.J.) tied the score at 9. Mackenzie fired a kill to put the Pioneers in the lead 13-12, and came up big with two more kills to put SHU ahead 19-16. The Red Flash found a way to pull ahead 21-20 forcing Sacred Heart to immediately called a timeout in an effort to stop the run. Saint Francis continued to roll and position itself at match-point. The Pioneers did not have enough in the end and lost the set 25-23 and the match.