Towson, Md.- Saint Francis volleyball fought hard, but fell in three tough sets to the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday afternoon in match three of the Towson Invitational.

Hannah Kutny (Clifton Park, N.Y./Catholic Central) had 12 kills to lead the Flash offense against the Vols while Amelia Metzler (Littleton, Colo./Chatfield) added 16 assists. Defensively, Kelsey Roush (Johnstown, Pa./Richland) added 11 digs and Sophie Murdock (Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion ) added four blocks. Saint Francis had eight blocks against Tennessee on Saturday afternoon.

The first set was tight, neither team led by more than four in the early stages. The Flash would get to within two at 18-16 after a Roush ace and strong defense that forced an attacking error. The teams would trade points until the Vols won four straight points to create a 24-18 lead en route to a 25-19 first set.
In set two, two key runs by the Volunteers proved to be the difference. Kills by Roush and Kutny and an ace from Murdock got the Flashes within four at 12-8.  However, the Volunteers used the second of their runs, a 6-0 spurt that gave them 18-8 lead. Roush and Kutny had five kills combined in a 5-1 run to answer the Vols, but could not get closer than 20-14 in a 25-16 second set.

In set three, the Vols got out of the gate quick, winning eight of the first 10 points. Kutny had three kills in a four-point span that got the Flash back within four at 9-5. After another Vol run, the Flashes continued to chip away at the Tennessee lead. The Saint Francis defense blocked two attacks and Kutny added another kill as the Red Flash cut the lead back down to five at 19-14. Another block by the Flash made it 21-17 but the teams would trade points down the stretch as the comeback fell short.

Saint Francis now sits at 1-2 on the season. They will take on the host Towson Tigers tonight at 7 p.m.