Another Long Battle

Saturday, March 18

Loretto, PA

1:00 PM

California Baptist University

3-18

Saint Francis

9-12

California Baptist

Saint Francis

Photo by: Jacob Gonzalez

3/18/2017 3:39:00 PM | Men's Volleyball

Box Score

By: Sammi Wellman, Director of Sports Information

LORETTO, Pa. — California Baptist University gave Saint Francis everything it had Saturday night, going to extra points in two sets, but fell 3-2 (27-25, 17-25, 25-15, 23-25, 20-18).

The Lancers drop to 3-18, while the Red Flash improve to 9-12.

For the second match in a row, the Lancers had to force extra points in the opening set, but just dropped the set 27-25.

Rohit Paul (career-high 19 kills) put CBU off on a good foot in the second, smacking down a kill on the first play of the set. The Red Flash tried to keep things close, but couldn't quite contain the Lancers in the game.

Already with a 6-5 lead, CBU scored five-straight points to all but put the set out of reach. Two SFU errors sparked the spurt, before Kevin Vaz fueled it with a kill. Caleb Miller (six kills, four blocks) and Paul followed with a combo block and then capped the run with a kill down the middle, 11-5.

Determined to keep striking while the iron was hot, CBU built up as high as a nine-point cushion in the frame. The Red Flash battled within five, but it was the closest the Lancers would let them, as Jackson Burge sealed the 25-17 victory with a kill to even the match, 1-1.

SFU took back the upper hand in the match with a 25-15 set three victory, but CBU wasn't giving up that easily.

Back-to-back kills from Paul and Luis Palos gave CBU some early momentum, 2-0, in the fourth. It soon built into an eight-point cushion, 16-8, putting the Lancers in the driver's seat.

SFU made things interesting, despite CBU grabbing set point, to climb all the way back within two, 24-23. Enrique de Diego Garcia squashed any hopes of the Red Flash taking the set, however, with a powerful kill from the middle to give his team the 25-23 set win and force a fifth.

While the deciding set normally ends when a team hits the 15-point mark, SFU and CBU took it to extra points. Unfortunately, it was the Red Flash who would take the fifth and ultimately the match with a 20-18 set win.

CBU hit .480 in the fifth, but it wasn't enough to overcome SFU's .542 hitting clip.

The Lancers continue their East Coast swing on Tuesday at Limestone for a 4:00 p.m. Pacific match.