SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University volleyball team took the opening two sets from West Liberty University on Tuesday at Morrow Field House, but the Hilltoppers came back to earn a narrow 3-2 victory on the road.
 
Slippery Rock took the opening two sets in fine fashion 25-17, 25-19 before the Hilltoppers rallied back with consecutive 26-24, 31-29, 15-12 wins to close out the match.

The contest was evenly matched, as the two Atlantic Region foes combined for 25 ties and 10 lead changes over the five-set affair.
 
The non-conference loss snaps SRU's two-match winning streak and drops The Rock's record to 9-13 overall. West Liberty improves to 19-8 on the season with the victory.
 
For the first time this season four different Rock players recorded at least 16 kills with senior Beth Stumpf and freshman Gabby Huck pacing the attack with 16 kills apiece. Sophomore Erinn Kahoe and junior Kaley Fucci totaled 15 kills each as well. Kahoe produced her 15 kills on an extremely efficient .424 attack percentage.
 
Rounding out The Rock's attack was junior Shayla Ray (four kills), sophomore Danielle Bywalski (one kill) and junior Zoe Rivet (one kill). Rivet also passed out a career-high 56 assists to go with 15 digs.
 
In addition to tying Ray for a team-high in blocks with three, Fucci also came up with a team-high 20 digs and one ace in what turned out to be a double-double performance.
 
Sophomore Jalyn Willard made 19 digs while serving two aces, one off of Kahoe's team-leading three perfect serves on the night.
 
For the match, Slippery Rock held advantages over West Liberty in kills (68-64), attack percentage (.232-.194) and aces (7-5). WLU led The Rock in blocks (9-5) and digs (91-74). The Hilltoppers were guided by Olivia Baumhoer, who had 20 kills and five blocks.

Tuesday was Dig for the Cure night at Morrow Field House. All funds raised on Tuesday wil be donated directly to the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition.
 
Slippery Rock returns to Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference competition 7 p.m. Friday at Shippensburg University.
 
NOTES
-Rivet's 56 assists against the Hilltoppers are the second most by a Rock setter since 2002. Only Janna Reilly, who had 57 assists against Indiana (Pa.) in 2011, has recorded more assists in a single match in the last 16 years.
 
-Fucci finished two kills off of matching her career-high of 17 kills set earlier this season against Kutztown.
 
-Huck has now registered 16 kills in a match three times in her first collegiate season.
 
-SRU is 4-2 in its last six home matches and 2-2 when contests go to five sets in 2018.
  
-West Liberty head coach Kayla Mull, a Slippery Rock alum, is now 3-5 against her former school.
 
 

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