SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University volleyball team lost a five-set thriller to Mercyhurst University Tuesday night in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division competition at Morrow Field House.
 
Slippery Rock (4-18, 1-8 PSAC West) took the opening two sets from the Lakers (9-11, 6-5 PSAC West) 25-15, 26-24, but Mercyhurst rallied to capture the final three sets 25-16, 25-15 and 15-9.
 
Abigail Koeller paced The Rock's efforts against the Lakers with a double-double of 14 kills and 12 digs to go with three blocks. In addition to tallying a season-high in kills, Koeller's .400 attack percentage was the highest by a Rock hitter this season (minimum 12 kills).
 
Erica Selfridge also provided SRU with a double-digit kill performance at 11 all the while producing 11 digs and three blocks.
 
Alayna Chizmar added six kills, her most over the last five matches, while Chelsie Wheeler chipped in five kills and Stephanie O'Donnell registered four kills to round out The Rock's attack.
 
Defensively, O'Donnell also matched her career-high with a six-block match. Fellow middle hitter Lauren Crytzer joined O'Donnell, Selfridge and Koeller in what was SRU's third-highest block total of the year with a pair of rejections to improve her total on the season to a Rock-best 45.
 
Taylor Fellers and Peytan Gullickson guided Slippery Rock's offense with 20 and 16 assists, respectively, with Fellers also making a season-high 17 digs. Libero Kate Lachendro notched her 12th 20-dig outing of the season with a match-best 23 on the night.
 
The quintet of Lachendro, Chizmar, Selfridge, Fellers and Lauren Weber served one ace apiece as well.
 
After taking the opening two sets, Slippery Rock played the Lakers to an 11-11 tie to start the third set on its quest for a sweep before Mercyhurst ended the set by concluding the game on a 14-5 run on the way to a 25-16 win.
 
Slippery Rock could never quite find its footing in the fourth set as the Lakers jumped out to an 11-4 lead en route to an eventual 25-15 victory that sent the match to a fifth set.
 
Trailing 11-5 in the deciding set, Slippery Rock came out of a timeout strong by taking three consecutive points courtesy of two kills by Koeller and another by Wheeler to cut the Lakers' lead to 11-8 and force a Mercyhurst timeout.
 
However, The Rock's comeback bid ended there as the Lakers closed the match by scoring four of the final five points in a 15-9 win.
 
Slippery Rock held a 9-8 advantage over the Lakers in total blocks while Mercyhurst finished with the edge over SRU in kills (63-42), attack percentage (.201-.121) and aces (7-5). Beth Brady had a double-double of 14 kills and 17 digs to lead the Lakers.
 
Tuesday's match marked The Rock's sixth match this season that has gone five sets.
 
Slippery Rock travels to Pitt-Johnstown for a PSAC West contest 7 p.m. Friday before returning home to play Kutztown University 2 p.m. Saturday as part of its annual Dig for the Cure match.
 
 



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