ERIE, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University volleyball team earned its first Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division victory of the season with a three-set win on the road at Mercyhurst University Friday.
 
Slippery Rock (4-10, 1-1 PSAC West) took the opening set from Mercyhurst (4-8, 1-2 PSAC West), 21-19, followed by back-to-back 25-21 wins over the second and third sets en route to its second sweep of the season.
 
Erica Selfridge and Abigail Koeller both had nine kills to lead SRU with Selfridge earning her total on an impressive .259 attack percentage. Additionally, Selfridge also made a team-best 24 digs with Koeller tallying 13 of her own. Mary Berger added seven kills and Alayna Chizmar chipped in six kills to round out The Rock's kill leaders.
 
In addition to her five kills on a .714 attack percentage, middle hitter Lauren Crytzer also posted a match-high four blocks. Crytzer has now tallied at least four blocks in four of SRU's last six matches.
 
Logan Whitaker guided SRU's offensive attack with 32 digs to go with 15 digs, two blocks and two kills in a double-double effort.
 
Kate Lachendro, the PSAC West's leader in digs, came away with her eighth 20-dig match of the season with 22. Taylor Fellers accounted for The Rock's lone ace.
 
As a team, Slippery Rock compiled its third highest attack percentage of the season at .184. For the match, SRU held advantages over the Lakers in total blocks (6-5), digs (85-75) and attack percentage (.184-.112).
 
SRU held a narrow lead for most of the first set, but with the score 15-14, Slippery Rock scored three consecutive points to pull ahead 18-14 and force a Mercyhurst timeout. The Rock went on to lead by as many as five points on three separate occasions on the way to its 25-19 victory in the opener. Berger paced The Rock in the first set with three kills and two blocks.
 
The Rock trailed early on in set two, but eventually battled back to even the set at 9-9. The Lakers and SRU continued to trade points, but as was the case in the opener. Slippery Rock once again went on a mid-set run to take a 15-13 lead and force another Mercyhurst timeout. While the Lakers pulled even with SRU two times down the stretch, at 17-17 and again at 18-18, Slippery Rock ultimately never trailed as it came away with the four-point win.
 
Slippery Rock jumped out to a seemingly commanding 13-6 advantage in the third and deciding set to force Mercyhurst to call a timeout. The Lakers came out of the break by going on a 13-5 run to take a 19-18 lead over The Rock and forcing an SRU to call a timeout of its own. Slippery Rock was masterful out of the stoppage as it forced a 20-20 tie and promptly closed the set, and the match, on a 5-1 run for the 25-21 victory.
 
Beth Brady led Mercyhurst with a double-double of 13 kills and 22 digs.
 
Slippery Rock opens a three-match homestand when it hosts Seton Hill University 7 p.m. Oct. 1. at Morrow Field House.



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