SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University volleyball team erased a two-set deficit to defeat Kutztown, 3-2, Friday night in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference competition at Morrow Field House.
 
Things looked bleak for The Rock early on as Kutztown raced out to a 2-0 lead with 25-21 and 25-20 wins in the opening two sets. However, SRU persevered to take the final three sets 25-17, 25-21, 15-12.
 
With the win, Slippery Rock snaps a five-match losing streak and improves its overall record to 4-7 and its PSAC mark to 1-2. The Golden Bears drop back to 6-6 overall and 0-3 in the PSAC with the defeat.
 
After stumbling out to a .057 attack percentage in the opening set The Rock was stellar for the rest of the night, hitting .286 over the final four sets to finish at .236 for the match, which is SRU's third highest attack percentage this season.
 
For the match, Slippery Rock held advantages over Kuztown in aces (8-4), attack percentage (.236 - .158), digs (72-60) and blocks (10-9).
 
Playing in just her second match of the season, junior Kaley Fucci was dominant with 17 kills, a .324 attack percentage, 11 digs and four blocks.
 
Seniors Beth Stumpf and Shayla Ray supplemented Fucci's offense with 15 and 14 kills, respectively. Stumpf also made 23 digs for her team-leading fifth double-double of the year while Ray tallied four blocks. Ray in particular was dominant on her attacks, finishing with a.542 hitting percentage, in addition to serving two aces.
 
Sophomore Erinn Kahoe led a stout defensive effort with six total blocks (1 solo / five assisted) to go with seven kills while setter Zoe Rivet guided the offense with a career-high 51 assists.
 
Holly Owen paced the Golden Bears with a match-high 21 kills.
 
Slippery Rock will look to finish off the weekend strong with a victory at home 1 p.m. Saturday against East Stroudsburg University.
 
NOTES
• Friday was a night of career-highs for several Rock players. In addition to Rivet's personal-best in assists, Fucci set a new career-high in kills, Kahoe matched her personal-best block total and Stumpf's 23 digs were a career-high.
 
 
• Rivet's 51 assists ties for the third most in a five-set match by Rock setter in program history.
 
• SRU is now 2-1 this season in five-set matches. The Rock's other five-set victory this season came Sept. 1, 2018 against Charleston when SRU rallied form another 2-0 hole to escape with a victory.
 
• Ray's .393 attack percentage is the third higest in the PSAC this season.
 
• Kahoe's six block night vaulted her to 10th in the PSAC in digs per set at 0.91.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1 – SRU jumped out to a 12-11 lead in the first set, but Kutztown countered with a convincing 11-4 run over the middle stages of the game to pull ahead 22-16. SRU attempted a rally of their own, cutting KU's down to as little as two points at 22-20, but Kuztown held on for the 25-21 victory.
 
Set 2 – Kutztown stormed out to a 6-0 lead in the second set and never looked back on the way to a 25-20 victory.
 
Set 3 – Facing a three-set shutout and a sixth straight loss overall, Slippery Rock fought hard and finished the third set strong. With the set tied at 15-15, SRU scored 10 of the set's final 16 points en route to a 25-17 win. Fucci and Stumpf combined for nine kills in the third set.
 
Set 4 – Slippery Rock kept its momentum rolling in the fourth set. Trailing 6-3, SRU continued to claw its way back into the set via a 7-3 run that pushed The Rock in front of the Golden Bears 13-10. From there, Slippery Rock and Kutztown traded points with The Rock coming out on top 25-21 thanks in part to five kills from Fucci.
 
Set 5 – By the time the fifth set came the momentum was firmly in The Rock's corner. SRU wasted no time pulling away from Kutztown by taking six of the opening eight points in the set. Kutztown managed to trim The Rock's lead down to three points, but could never truly threaten The Rock's lead as SRU cruised to the 15-12 win to finish off the comeback.
 


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