Box Score
 
LORETTO, PA – Freshman TJ Jurko notched a career-high with 22 kills for NJIT as the Highlanders opened Eastern Collegiate Volleyball Association conference play, dropping a 3-1 decision at Saint Francis Friday evening at DeGol Arena.
 
Saint Francis (4-6 overall, 1-0 in the EIVA) won its third straight match capturing the four-set match over the Highlanders, 25-21, 25-23, 22-25 and 25-22.
 
Saint Francis was led by Alex Kane's 17 kills, five block assists and four digs in the victory.  Adam Roche followed with 10 kills and match-high eight block assists.  Roche hit .500 for the match (10k, 2e, 16a) and setter Ryan Williams was credited with 46 assists and six block assists.
 
As a team, the Red Flash posted 17 team blocks led by Roche (8), Mark Kochan (7) and Williams (6).  Kyle Beatty and Nicholas Bancroft both dug-up five balls.
 
The Highlanders (4-4 overall, 0-1 in the EIVA) were paced by Jurko's career-high 22 kills followed by senior Adam Gustafson with eight kills.  Herman Kantushov and Kevin Van Oss each recorded seven kills for the Highlanders.
 
Junior setter Matthew Lui piled up a team-high 27 assists and Zak Robben added 16, as the freshman played in two sets. 
 
Libero Brady Smith recorded a match-high seven digs.  Van Oss led the Highlanders in front of the net with four total blocks (two assists, two solo).
 
In the first set, the match remained close throughout until Saint Francis took its largest lead on an attack error by the visitors, 20-16.  NJIT went on a 5-2 run closing the Red Flash gap to within one, 22-21, on an attack error by the home team.  The Red Flash scored the final three points for a 25-21 victory.
 
The second frame saw 11 lead changes, with neither team leading by more than two points.  The last tie of the set came at 23 on a service error by Saint Francis but an attack error by the Highlanders and kill by Kochan, the Red Flash escaped with a 25-23 victory.
 
The Highlanders built a 10-7 lead to start the third set.  Both teams went back and forth exchanging points until the score was 15-14, in favor of the Highlanders.  NJIT rallied off four straight points and began to pull away, 19-14, after a kill by Jurko.  Saint Francis answered trimming the Highlander lead to one, after an NJIT attack error.  After a timeout by head coach Ryan McNeil, the Red Flash knotted the set at 21 on the next play.  The Highlanders finished out the set on a 4-1 run earning a 25-22 victory.
 
In the final set, the Red Flash jumped out to a 17-11 lead.  The Highlanders battled back closing the Red Flash lead to within one, 22-21.  Saint Francis would score the next two points, 24-21, resulting in an NJIT timeout.  NJIT's Gustafson answered with a kill but it was Saint Francis's Roche who closed out the match with a kill of his own for a 25-22 win.
 
The Highlanders will have a quick turnaround and visit No. 5 Penn State on Saturday at 7pm. 
 
Penn State comes into Saturday's contest with a 7-1 overall record, 1-0 in conference play.  The Nittany Lions' only loss on the season came at No. 7 Lewis on January 21.  Since the loss, Penn State has won its last five contests.