SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University volleyball team swept Roberts Wesleyan College, 3-0, Friday on day one of the Shippensburg University Raider Classic.
 
SRU (1-0) did not trail in the opening set en route to a 25-13 victory. The Rock then proceeded to close out the second set on an 8-2 run to earn a 25-22 comeback victory to head into the third set with a chance at a season-opening sweep.
 
After trading points with the RedHawks (0-1) to start the final set, Slippery Rock finished off the match on an 18-6 spurt to earn a decisive 25-15 victory in the third. While the second set was a back-and-forth bout, Slippery Rock trailed for a total of just five points in the first and third sets.
 
Slippery Rock controlled every facet of the match Friday as it finished the contest holding advantages over Roberts Wesleyan in kills (35-31), attack percentage (.286-.087), aces (6-4) and blocks (3-1).
 
Kaley Fucci paced The Rock's attack with a match-high 11 kills on a .250 hitting percentage to go with one block, two aces and five digs.
 
The Rock's middle hitter duo of Tiara Teague and Sophie Varndell recorded seven and six kills, respectively, with Teague also adding one block. Lauren Crytzer and Abigail Koeller chipped in five kills each while Stephanie Jacobsen rounded out The Rock's offensive output with one kill. Koeller also produced 10 digs and one ace.
 
Zoe Rivet guided SRU's offense with a match-high 28 assists in addition to two aces, one block and five digs. Defensive specialist Jalyn Willard made 14 digs and served one ace to round out The Rock's top performers.
 
Kathryn Krchniak had 10 kills to lead Roberts Wesleyan in the losing effort.
 
Slippery Rock will close out its opening weekend of the 2019 season Saturday with a pair of matches on day two of the Raider Classic. SRU will first play Chestnut Hill College at 10 a.m. followed by a 2:30 p.m. showdown against Walsh University.
 
NOTES
• Friday's win marked the seventh straight year in which Slippery Rock has won its season opener. In those seven years, SRU has started the season 2-0 four times and 3-0 twice.
 
• Slippery Rock's .286 attack percentage was the seventh highest percentage by an SRU team in a single match in the last five years and its best showing since The Rock posted a .329 attack percentage against Cheyney on Oct. 27, 2017.
 
• The victory marked the first appearances in a collegiate match for Koeller, Varndell, Crytzer and Teague. Koeller and Varndell are both true freshmen while Teague and Crytzer did not appear in a match during their rookie years in 2018.
  
• Rivet, who entered the match with 99 career aces, eclipsed the 100-ace plateau for her career with a pair of perfect serves against the RedHawks.
 
• Rivet will also enter Saturday's matches with 2,035 assists, 24 away from passing Haley Defibaugh (2014-17) for sixth place on The Rock's career assists ledger.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1 – The opening set was never in doubt as Slippery Rock quickly opened up a 12-6 advantage before ending the opener by taking nine of the set's final 12 points on the way to a 25-13 triumph.
 
Set 2 – SRU appeared poised to make quick work of Roberts Wesleyan in the second set after starting out on a 6-1 spurt. However, the RedHawks battled back to take a 20-17 lead late in the set. Not to be outdone, Slippery Rock answered back by going on an 8-2 run to come away with a narrow 25-22 victory. Fucci accounted for three points during the final run with a trio of kills.
 
Set 3 – The Rock briefly trailed in to in the early stages of the third, but a solid 6-0 run midway through the set gave SRU a 13-9 lead that would never be relinquished on the way to the 25-15 match-clinching victory.




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