SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - In a match that featured four extremely tight sets, the Slippery Rock University volleyball team lost a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference contest to Shippensburg University 3-1 Friday night at Morrow Field House.
 
The Raiders improve to 13-5 overall and 5-0 in league matches with the win while The Rock drops to 7-10 overall and 2-3 in the PSAC with the loss.
 
The Raiders overcame an early seven-point SRU lead in the opening set to squeak out a 25-23 victory before ending the second set on a 5-0 run to pull out another 25-23 victory. The Rock rallied in the third by jumping out to a 15-4 advantage and fending off a late Raider run en route to an eventual 28-26 win.
 
However, Slippery Rock's comeback hopes were dashed as Shippensburg outlasted SRU in the fourth set on the way to a 25-17 match-clinching victory.
 
Sophie Varndell led the way for The Rock with a season-high 17 kills and three blocks. Fellow freshman Abigail Koeller added 10 kills, two aces and three blocks of her own while Kaley Fucci supplemented the duo with nine kills and a pair of blocks.
 
Erinn Kahoe delivered her best match of the 2019 season by tallying seven kills, six blocks and one ace. Abigail Nigon joined The Rock's blocking attack, which featured 10 team rejections Friday, with three blocks to increase her season total to a team-high 48.
 
Zoe Rivet registered 41 assists to guide Slippery Rock's offense. Stephanie Jacobsen, who continued to serve as SRU's libero for a second straight match, made 27 digs to go with one ace. Gabby Huck (one ace, 15 kills) rounded out SRU's top performers against the Raiders.
 
Varndell's 17 kills were the third most by a Rock athlete in a single-match this season while Rivet's 41 assists marked her fourth match of the year with at least 40 assists. Additionally, Jacobsen's 27 digs were the most in a four-set match for SRU in 2019.
 
As a team, Slippery Rock's 10 blocks marked the third time this year that SRU has reached the double-digit rejection plateau.
 
Gabriella Johnson led the Raiders to the victory with 19 kills and three blocks. Gianna Sigado contributed 14 kills as well in the winning effort.
 
Slippery Rock hosts Clarion University 7 p.m. Oct. 15 for its annual Dig for the Cure match at Morrow Field House.




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