Saint Francis Drop to 5-6 with Loss to Loyola (Ill.), 3-1
(30-28, 21-30, 30-32, 19-30)
Loretto, Pa. – Saint Francis was overcome by the 12th ranked Loyola (Ill.) University Ramblers of the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association in a very emotional, tension-filled match in four games, 3-1 (30-28, 21-30, 30-32, 19-30). Saturday’s original game time was set for 1:00pm, but the tilt was pushed back to 9:30pm.
Sophomore outside hitter Jordan Varee (Meadville, Pa./Conneaut Valley) prolonged his strong efforts of 2008 by piloting the Flash with 16 kills on 41 attempts in Saturday’s non-conference bout. Varee also scored on two service aces, seven digs and three blocking assists. Sophomore outside hitter Dave Reilly (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury) blasted 12 kills on 21 swings in addition to six digs, one solo stuff and a blocking assist. Sophomore swinger Nick Rivett (Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel) detonated 11 kills on 38 swats with two aces, seven digs, one solo block and two blocking assists. Sophomore middle hitter Pete Freyer (Orchard Park, N.Y./Orchard Park) accurately put some points on the board for the Flash, hitting for .583 (eight kills on 12 attempts). Freyer affixed six blocking assists to his statistical output. Sophomore middle hitter Patrick McManamon (Huntingdon, Pa./Huntingdon) knocked down three kills on, peppering in two service aces, one dig, one solo prevent and four blocking assists.
Sophomore Markus Schulze (Berlin, Germany/Anne-Frank) continued on his torrent pace of defense with 10 digs and junior setter Shane Conley (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) set up 43 assists for Saint Francis.
“This was a tough loss for our team,” said Saint Francis head coach Mike Rumbaugh. “After taking game one, we really thought we could knock off this very good volleyball team. Regrettably, that did not end up being the case.”
SFU and Loyola started off the match with respective service aces, but Loyola inched out to an early three-point lead after SFU pushed three kill attempts long. The Flash charged back to an 8-6 lead after two kills, a dual block and three return errors from the Ramblers. Ramblers head coach Shane Davis called for the match’s first timeout after the Flash scored the last four of five points. Loyola came out of the break with a point of their own, but Reilly negated Loyola’s attack with a killer kill of his own. Reilly tipped a devious point over the net directly after his first kill, but the Ramblers clambered back to within two, 16-14. Rivett piped one through the Ramblers defense for a three-point advantage, but Loyola’s Joe Guntli nipped the line to move it to 17-15. After two plays, Varee got into his groove with a brilliant stroke followed by a triple block by Reilly, McManamon and Conley. The Ramblers countered with two points, including a service ace from Michael Hutz, but Reilly held the three-point advantage with a kill Loyola found too hot to handle. Loyola quickly sealed the game up at 21 all. Ramblers’ hitter Michael Morice staked his claim to a sturdy block, handing the lead back over to Loyola. Rumbaugh called for SFU’s first timeout after the Ramblers retook the lead, 22-21. Morice and Ian Anderson stuffed Varee’s attempt right out of the gate. Loyola rattled off two more points and Rumbaugh called for the Flash’s final timeout of game one. McManamon arced one over right after the break, leading to a following error, bringing the Flash within two. Rivett forced the Ramblers to pause the game after a big block, and brought Saint Francis within one point, 25-24. Reilly couldn’t handle Loyola’s Krisjanis Berzins attack, but Saint Francis scored the next two points on a big Varee stop and a Ramblers error. Loyola countered, but returned the serve back to Saint Francis on an error. Freyer and Conley welded together for two mammoth, momentum changing blocks, turning the tables on Loyola and recapturing the lead, 29-28. Varee shook off the Ramblers with Saint Francis’ first service ace and declared game one for the Flash, 30-28. Varee led the Flash in kills with four. A low attacking affair was won by the Flash in game one, .103 to .081.
Ramblers’ Ian Anderson scored the first point of game two in a big swat, but Rivett shrugged it off after returning the favor. Reilly stretched his serve a little long and the Flash committed two errors to hand Loyola a three point lead. Krisjanis Berzins knocked an ace past the Flash and SFU committed another error, compelling Rumbaugh to call a timeout with the board at 6-1 in favor of the adversary. Ramblers’ Joe Guntil killed one off of press row to turn game two into a six-point lead. An errant block on behalf of Saint Francis nudged another point onto Loyola’s board, but Varee rifled one at Loyola, making the score 8-2. Reilly responded with another kill, but Loyola reacted with another tally. Varee bounced one of off Loyola’s territory and Freyer and Conley joined forces for a big block. SFU crept back to within three off of a Varee ace. Rivett kept SFU’s momentum alive with a big swat and Davis called for a break with his team up two, 9-7, after being ahead by six points. Joe Guntil snuck one back towards SFU after the breather trailed by a Varee error. Ian Anderson extended the lead back to five. Rivett smashed the net on his serve, but luckily had it fall to the Ramblers side of the wood for his first ace of the evening. Loyola notched the next two plays, but Varee put in his two cents with a vicious swing as the score moved to 16-10 in favor of the Ramblers. Varee tallied on a heads up play by placing one right between the Ramblers, but Loyola sent a rocket back towards the SFU bench, negating Varee’s hit. In an attempt to come back from eight points, McManamon and Conley crammed Loyola on their attack. Freyer uncoiled for another Flash point, but Varee sent back the serve on an error. Freyer registered another big point, but Loyola maintained an eight point lead. Ramblers’ libero Derek Jensen prodded game two to game point and eventually finished off the Flash, 30-21. Varee paced the Flash once again with four kills, despite the Ramblers crushing SFU in attacking accuracy, .438 to .118.
Loyola commenced the third game with two points, starting with a kill from Krisjanis Berzins. The Ramblers and Flash swapped services aces, but SFU seized the lead back after Rivett and Freyer plastered two back at the Ramblers. Rivett earned an ace for the Flash as SFU regained control at 8-6. Loyola drew even and eventually annexed the lead, 11-8, on some hard-nosed play. Freyer notched two consecutive kills after some back and forth play, as the lead moved to three for Saint Francis, 14-11. Reilly added on and Davis hailed for the first timeout of game three with the Flash leading, 15-11. Loyola retaliated with a point after the break, but Reilly utilized some sneakiness to off Loyola’s last point. The Ramblers battled back to another tie, but Rivett speedily slapped another point on the Flash’s side to regain the lead. Loyola scored on two SFU errors and took over the lead again, 19-18. Rivett and McManamon tallied on a kill and ace, respectively, but McManamon negated his ace with an error as the score was deadlocked at 20-20. The Flash won the skirmish of the next eight points, 6-3, from a few big swings from Reilly, McManamon and Varee. Davis huddled up his troops as the scoreboard stared at him with his team trailing, 26-23. Loyola rambled off two after the break, but Varee smacked two kills back at his foe. Rivett produced another point for the Flash, bringing them within one of gaining a 2-1 advantage in the match. Varee and Reilly vaulted their next attempts long, closing the gap back to 29-29. Loyola’s Ian Anderson forced Rumbaugh to call a timeout once his team fell back by one point, 30-29. Freyer regained his wind and slapped the leather back to a 30-30 tie after the timeout. Rivett served one into the net and Krisjanis Berzins clipped the corner to dash SFU’s dreams, 32-30 in game three. Game three’s exhilarating match-up had Nick Rivett kill six balls on ten swings. Varee switched his mindset to defense with five big digs in game three alongside three kills. Loyola outhit the Flash .412 to .314 as well as tallying two and half blocks to SFU’s one.
Game four started off with a Loyola error, a missed Reilly block, a McManamon kill and a Reilly service error to deadbolt the battle at 2-2. Loyola turned out the next five points, but SFU answered back with a Loyola service error, a McManamon ace, a Freyer/Varee block and a strapping stuff from Rivett. Loyola tallied the next four to stay up 11-6 with a couple blocks and kills, coercing Rumbaugh to take a timeout. Ramblers’ Joe Guntil scored on the tip after the rest, but Freyer leaped up for an imperative point. Loyola University took command after the Flash committed three errors in a row, 16-8. Varee cut into the lead with a two big spikes, which lead into both teams trading service errors. Reilly missed a dig as Loyola continued on their tear, 19-11. Reilly redeemed himself by spiraling one off of Berzins jersey, transforming into five more Saint Francis points. Loyola attacked and the score read 23-16. The Ramblers lit the board up for two more and Rumbaugh called for a break with the count at 25-16. Reilly bounced back from the timeout with a fanciful swat and Ian Anderson’s attempt went long, but Loyola scored again, holding onto their big lead. Anderson assaulted SFU with an ace and Michael Hutz stifled SFU with a big block in a crucial moment. Each squad exchanged errors and Joe Guntil solidified the victory with a block as the ball fell on SFU’s side with the score reading 30-19.
Saint Francis (5-6) takes on the Juniata College Eagles on Wednesday, February 13 at 7:00pm in an Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association Tait Division showdown in DeGol Arena. The Flash will clash with the Princeton Tigers on Friday, February 15 at 7:00pm in DeGol Arena.