The Sacred Heart University men's volleyball team fell 3-0 to Saint Francis University at the William H. Pitt Center. The Pioneers fall to 4-6 overall and 0-5 in the EIVA and the Red Flash improve to 4-9 overall and 1-3 in the EIVA.

Saint Francis ended the day with a .256 hit percentage, while Sacred Heart had a .250 hit percentage.

The Pioneers are back in action on Friday, February 28 against Princeton.

By The Numbers

• Blake Liprando led all teams with 12 kills, two service aces and five digs
• Michael Fisher recorded 11 kills, two service aces and 12 digs
• Calin Butler led the Pioneers with 10 kills, one service ace, six digs and two block assists
• Rob Chatterton registered 7 kills, two solo blocks and one block assists
• Connor Mahoney had eight kills and three digs
• Sacred Heart registered 5.0 blocks while Saint Francis had 2.0 

First Set (SFU 26, SHU 24)

• The teams traded opening points, before a Chatterton block gave SHU a 2-1 advantage
• SFU scored the next three points, with an ace from #7 making the score 4-2
• A SHU hitting error made the run four, and the lead 5-2
• A hitting error by SFU ended its run and brought SHU within 5-3
• Butler and Tischler combined on a block to bring SHU within a point, 8-7, and on the next service Tischler tied the set with a kill, for a 3-0 Pioneer run
• The Pioneers took their first lead at 11-10 on a service error by the Red Flash and that was followed by a Mahony kill for a 12-10 advantage
• The Red Flash answered, scoring consecutive points to draw even, 12-12, and then score ** more after a service error to retake the lead, 14-13 on #7 kill
• After a Butler kill squared the set, the Red Flash rattled off three straight points, capped by a #8 kill, for a 17-14 advantage
• Leading 19-16, a Red Flash hitting error opened the door for the Pioneers
• Butler and Chatterton blocked Michael Fisher to get within a point, 19-18, before a hitting error by SHU gave the Red Flash its two-point advantage, 20-18
• Chatterton followed with a kill and then consecutive Red Flash errors put the Pioneers on top 21-20 and force an SFU timeout
• Butler was long on an attack on the next rally, bringing SFU even, 21-21
• Fisher was wide on the next attack, putting SHU back in front, 22-21
• Ramiro Balaguer, who subbed into the game for that point, made the lead 23-22 with a kill off the SFU block
• Balaguer tipped it over the SFU block to give SHU set point, 24-22
• A Pioneer service error was followed by ace from AJ Schmidt to bring the Red Flash even at 24-24 and force a SHU timeout
• Out of the break Schmidt served consecutive aces to give SFU the 26-24 win

Second Set (SFU 26, SHU 24)

• Butler started with a kill to take the lead.
• Each team traded points then a Mahoney kill gave Sacred Heart a 3-2 lead.
• An SFU service error, was followed by Balaguer and Tischler combining on a block and another SFU error to put the Pioneers on top, 6-3  
• Joshua Blair ended the run with a kill for the Red Flash and his ace three points later brought the Red Flash within one, 7-6
• A Butler kill started a 5-0 SHU run, that was helped by a Timothy McIntosh service ace, and capped by a Tischler kill with the Pioneers in front, 12-7
• Teams traded points to bring the score to 15-10
• Two kills from Liprando and a service ace from Aj Schmidt contributed to a 3-0 by SFU, 15-13
• The Red Flash then outscored the Pioneers 4-1 to take the lead at 18-17
• A 2-0 run off kills from McIntosh and Butler helped the Pioneers gain a 19-18 advantage
• Blocks from Joesph Koszelak and Schmidt SFU to get to set point, 23-24
• A Tischler kill fended off the first set point, but a kill from Fisher and a Blair ace gave the Red Flash the 26-24 victory

Third Set

• Consecutive kills by Mahony broke an early 2-2 lead in favor of SHU
• Chatterton followed with a kill and a solo block, before a Butler service ace pushed the SHU lead to five, 7-2
• A kill from Liprando ended started a 2-0 run by Saint Francis, 8-5
• After going up 14-8, the Red Flash went on a 3-0 run to cut into the host advantage, 14-10
• A Liprando service ace made the run, 6-2, and brought SFU within two, 16-14 and forced a Pioneer timeout
• An ace by Liprando tying the score for the first time since 2-2 (8-2 run), 16-16
• With the game tied at 21 all, the visitor outscored the Pioneers 4-1 to win on a service ace by AJ Schmidt to end the match at 25-22