FAIRMONT, W. Va. - The Slippery Rock University volleyball team opened its 2022 season Friday by splitting a pair of matches at the Fairmont State Volleyball Classic.
 
The Rock (1-1) began the day with a three-set win over Salem University (0-2) before losing to Ursuline College (1-1) in five sets.
 
Slippery Rock was led over the two matches by Erica Selfridge and Callie Chevalier. Selfridge recorded a team-high 21 kills on the day while Chevalier had 20 on a .419 attack percentage as well as four aces in her first action as a member of the program.
 
Jaeden Yost, a freshman setter, guided the offense with 49 assists while serving six aces while Kate Lachendro posted six aces as well in addition to her 35 digs.
 
Stephanie O'Donnell tallied a Rock-best nine blocks, all of which came against Ursuline, while the quintet of Selfridge, Chevalier, Chelsie Wheeler, Abigail Nigon and Mary Berger totaled three blocks apiece in the two matches.
 
SLIPPERY ROCK 3 – SALEM 0
Set Scores: 25-15, 25-7, 25-10
 
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
• Slippery Rock earned its seventh season-opening win in the last eight years behind a strong team effort that saw The Rock post a .442 attack percentage to go with 11 aces and three blocks.
• The Rock's .442 attack percentage was third-best single-match total by the program dating back to the 2002 season.
• SRU limited the Salem attack to a -.026 attack percentage and just two aces.
• Alayna Chizmar paced SRU's efforts with 13 kills on a .423 attack percentage.
• Chevalier opened her collegiate career with seven kills on just 13 attempts (.538) and three aces in addition to one block.
• Playing in her first collegiate match in over two years, Nigon had a strong showing with five kills (.500) and two blocks.
• The trio of Berger, Selfridge and Wheeler rounded out SRU's attack leaders at five kills each with Berger also tallying three blocks and Selfridge serving one ace.
• In addition to matching Maria Lucas for second on the team in aces with two, Yost opened her college career by registering a double-double of 25 assists and 10 digs. Peytan Gullickson had 16 assists as well.
• Rounding out The Rock's top performers in the win were Lachendro with 12 digs and Paige Weeder with three kills.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Slippery Rock trailed just twice through the entirety of the match as SRU strung together impressive runs each set to roll to the victory.
 
In its first set of the 2022 season, Slippery Rock quickly got out to a 6-2 advantage before building its lead out to as many as 10 points on three occasions on the way to a 25-15 win.
 
The second set was more of the same as The Rock led wire-to-wire for an eventual 25-7 win. The 18-point triumph marked SRU's largest set victory since defeating Cheyney 25-4 in 2011.
 
Leading by four (10-6) in what turned out to be the final set, Slippery Rock proceeded to take 15 of the final 19 points of the bout en route to a match-clinching 25-10 victory.
 
URSULINE 3 - SLIPPERY ROCK 2
Set Scores: 14-25, 26-24, 25-22, 18-25, 15-11
 
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
• Slippery Rock had three athletes with double-digit kill totals against the Arrows in Selfridge (16), Chevalier (13) and Wheeler (10). Chevalier also added 10 digs for a double-double.
• Yost racked up her second double-double of the day following a 24-assist, 12-dig showing that included four aces and two blocks. Gullickson also aided SRU's offense with 15 assists.
• Lachendro served five aces of her own, a career-high, while also making 23 digs for what was her 14th career match with at least 20 digs.
• Nigon chipped in seven kills to round out The Rock's offensive leaders.
• Defensively, O'Donnell posted a career-high nine blocks (one solo / eight assisted) to go with her four kills.
• As a team, Slippery Rock compiled a .214 attack percentage while UC hit just .157. The Rock also held edges over Ursuline in aces (11-8) and blocks (10-7).
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Rock built an early 7-3 lead that proved to be enough to hold off Ursuline for the entire first set. While the Arrows were able to keep the score close for much of the opener, Slippery Rock steadily built on its lead to put away the set with five straight points to earn a 25-14 win.
 
Ursuline responded from the opening-set defeat by narrowly taking the second and third sets - 26-24, 25-22 - to force Slippery Rock into a must-win situation heading into the fourth set.
 
Undeterred by the previous two sets and despite dropping four consecutive points to open the fourth, Slippery Rock battled back from a 7-1 deficit to pull even with the Arrows at 17-17. The remainder of the set belonged to SRU as Selfridge accounted for three kills to help lift The Rock to a 25-18 victory, forcing a fifth and deciding set.
 
However, SRU was unable to rally back from another 7-1 margin in the fifth as Ursuline's early lead proved too much for The Rock to overcome this time in an eventual 15-11 match-deciding win.
 
UP NEXT
Slippery Rock closes its time at the Fairmont State Volleyball Classic with two matches Saturday beginning at 2 p.m. against Walsh University followed by a 6 p.m. contest against host Fairmont State University.
 
 



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