The set is all tied up at 17 in the fourth set. Saint Francis is winning the game 2-1. The Norse have the serve; freshman Dax Wittren lines up to serve. “Wack,” the ball soars over the net like a rocket.
An SFU defender digs the volleyball up off the ground, finding the fingertips of setter Kyle Charles, who flicks it back to Nathan Zini. Zini winds up his arm, “Boom,” as he hits the ball. It goes straight at an NKU defender, who is unable to get it up, and it hits the floor, gaining a point, 18-17.
Succeeding that play, the Red Flash tacked on two more quick points. NKU tried to rally back, getting as close as one, 20-19, but it wasn’t enough as Saint Francis piled it all back on, winning the set 25-22 and the game 3-1. The Norse move to 0-2 in its first-ever season while the Red Flash pick up two wins in the Commonwealth, moving their record to 2-2.
Once again, Will McElveen was a shining star for the Norse. The redshirt sophomore put up a game-high 17 kills to go along with four digs on a .379 hitting percentage. Libero Trace Klausing also had a game high, but in digs with 11.
Juanmarco Diaz played another all-around game. Diaz finished with 10 kills and nine digs. Setter Nick Whitley shared the wealth with 30 assists, but also did his share on the defensive end with four digs.
For Saint Francis Brady Stump, the Northeast Conference (NEC) Player of the Week, finished with 13 kills, six digs, a .345 hitting percentage and two blocks. Setter Kyle Charles tossed a game-high 42 assists, five digs and two assisted blocks. Four Red Flash players combined for 45 kills, finishing with 51 as a team.
In the first set, both teams battled with the game tied up at nine. SFU went on a 4-0 run, riding that wave to the end of the first set with a kill by Sam Lane giving them set one.
The second set was all NKU, as they went on a huge 6-0 run mid-set to give them a six-point lead. The set ended with back-and-forth play, with Saint Francis not being able to mount a lead. Whitley got the final points for the Norse off a serve ace, tying the game up 1-1.
The Red Flash bloated to an early 7-3 lead in the third set, but like the night before, the Norse didn’t back down. They cut back into the lead with a 4-0 run of their own. After that, both teams kept trading rallies with the game being all tied up at 24 in a pivotal set. SFU got two quick points, taking the lead right back 2-1, ending the set 26-24.
The final set was the same as the third, a fight to the end, but a huge 4-0 run late to get the three-point lead, 20-17, which pushed the Norse away. NKU tried to claw back with a 2-0 run after that, getting within one, but the experience of Saint Francis shut out the game on both sides of the floor, winning the set 25-22 and the game 3-1.