FAIRFIELD, Conn. – An allusive conference victory fell just out of the reach of the Sacred Heart University men's volleyball team on Saturday. The Pioneers lost a narrow 3-2 (19-25, 23-25, 25-23, 25-14, 15-3) decision to St. Francis Brooklyn. 

Records:
Sacred Heart: 4-5, 0-4 EIVA
St. Francis Brooklyn: 6-4, 3-3 EIVA
 
Top Performers:
Patrick Mucherino (SHU): 15 kills, 8 digs, 4 aces
Carlos Santa Cruz (SHU): 14 kills, 9 digs
Teddy Payne (SHU): 46 assists 
 
Up Next:
Sacred Heart goes on the road for a two-game set at Charleston starting on Friday.
 
Of Note:
Patrick Mucherino started a 6-0 run in the first set with a kill then produced two aces. SHU closed the opening frame with a 4-0 run that included another Mucherino kill. 
 
Set two went back-and-forth with the Terriers tying it at 23-23 on a pair of SHU errors. A Carlos Santa Cruz kill broke the tie then another Mucherino winner won the set. 
 
Late in the third set, Santa Cruz produced a kill to put the Pioneers up, 21-8. Unfortunately, SHU could not close as the Terriers closed on a 7-1 run to stay alive.
 
Set five was tied at 10-10, but three-straight SHU miscues gave SFBK a 14-10 lead it wouldn't relinquish. 
 
Sacred Heart opened strong on both sides of the net, hitting .281 while limiting the Terriers to .115. Conversely, the Pioneers hit .072 in the final three sets and couldn't stop SFBK as the visitors hit .421. 
 
SHU had 14 aces, its most since it had 16 versus Erskine on March 26, 2018, but did commit 18 service errors.
 
More than half of SHU's kills came from Mucherino and Santa Cruz, who had a career-high with 14 kills. Teddy Payne handed out a career-best 46 assists.