SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University volleyball team ended its 2018 season on a high-note Saturday with a 3-2 (16-25, 17-25, 25-18, 25-18, 15-9) victory against Mercyhurst University.
 
The Rock's chances of a season-ending victory looked bleak early on as the Lakers took the opening two sets, but SRU rallied back to take the final three games in convincing fashion on the way to the victory.
 
The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Northwest Division victory gives Slippery Rock a final record of 11-16 overall and 8-10 in league matches. Mercyhurst closes the year at 10-13 overall and 5-13 in the PSAC Northwest.
 
Playing in her final collegiate game, senior Beth Stumpf paced The Rock with 13 kills, 11 digs and one ace. Fellow senior Shayla Ray dominated the middle with eight kills on an impeccable .438 attack percentage to go with five blocks. Kelsey Boyle rounded out The Rock's senior class with three kills and one block.
 
Freshman Gabby Huck had a solid end to her first year at Slippery Rock, totaling 10 kills and one block. Sophomore Erinn Kahoe was also pivotal in the victory with nine kills and four blocks.
 
Junior Zoe Rivet passed out 44 assists, made 10 digs and came up with three rejections. She also served three of The Rock's seven aces on the afternoon. Stumpf, freshman Lauren Weber, sophomore Danielle Bywalski and junior Kaley Fucci accounted for SRU's other four aces.
 
As a team, SRU held advantages over Mercyhurst in attack percentage (.229-.183) and blocks (10-4). Alyssa Zirnheld, who registered 16 kills in the defeat, led the Lakers.
 
Prior to Saturday's match SRU's 2018 senior class of Boyle, Ray and Stumpf were all recognized for their contributions to the program over their careers.
 
One of the younger teams in the PSAC, Slippery Rock will return 17 of its 20 players from this year's roster in 2019.
 
NOTES
-Slippery Rock concludes the season ranked second in the PSAC Northwest Division standings for the first time since the current four-division system was introduced by the PSAC in 2016.
 
-The Rock went 6-4 at Morrow Field House in 2018. The six home victories represent the most in a single-season by SRU since the program posted seven wins at Morrow Field House in 2005.
 
-Additionally, SRU's eight league victories in 2018 are The Rock's second highest conference win total since 2011.
 
-Ray ends her time at Slippery Rock with 272 career blocks, the eighth most in Rock history. Her .211 career attack percentage also ranks 15th all-time at Slippery Rock.
 
-In addition to her impressive career block total, Ray also ends 2018 ranked fifth in the PSAC in attack percentage at .318.
 
-Rivet will enter her senior season in 2019 ranked seventh all-time at Slippery Rock with 2,007 career assists.
 
-In her first season as The Rock's primary libero, Willard ended 2018 ranked first in the PSAC Northwest with a division-best 5.01 digs per set.
 
-With 203 kills, 91 blocks and 36 aces this season, Kahoe became the first Rock athlete since 2008 to finish a single-season ranked in the top three on the team in kills, blocks and aces.
 
 

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