FORT VALLEY, Ga. – The Wildcats stepped up in competition against a seasoned program and held its own. Trailing 2-0 in the match, Fort Valley State netted the final pair of points and captured the third set only to see St. Francis (Pa.) outlast the home team for the 3-1 men's volleyball final.

FVSU (6-5) led early in the opening set and received a Chey Cooper winner to pull within a point, 15-14. St. Francis recorded the next three tallies and held off the home team in a 25-20 opener final. The Red Flash put the opening three points on the scoreboard of set number two and extended a five-point lead into an 18-7 margin before going on for a 25-15 total.

Down 12-8 in Set 3, the Wildcats saw both Saferino Dour and Cooper pound kills as part of a 6-1 surge to go ahead 14-13. From there, the two team trades punches to a tune of 12 ties until reaching a 25-25 score. A visitor service error and then a Cooper kill pulled FVSU within a set, 2-1.

St. Francis, though, showed it mettle in the fourth set. The Red Flash again score the first three point and went out to a 10-4 advantage. Trailing 12-7, FVSU gave up the next four tallies (16-7) and the margin shrank to no less than nine (20-11) later on before the 25-14 score ended the match.

Cooper paced the Wildcat attack with eight kills, five digs, two blocks and an ace. Oshane Farquharson also lined eight kills, hit .400, dug two attacks and was part of two blocks. Isaiah Fedd added five kills and an ace, while Jaxon Hicks contributed four kills and five digs. Dour also had four kills.

Jaequon Henderson handed out 16 assists and dug two balls, while Jose Gallardo finished with 10 assists, three digs, two kills and a block assist. Diego Cardona led the backline with 12 digs.

FVSU continues its three matches in three nights with a Thursday night (March 7) home affair against Emmanuel College starting at 6 p.m.

-Wildcats-