SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University women's volleyball team continues its four-match road trip this weekend with away Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division contests 6 p.m. Friday versus Clarion and 2 p.m. Saturday at Pitt-Johnstown.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
Video and in-game statistics for both matches will be provided courtesy of the Clarion and Pitt-Johnstown Sports Information departments at the below links.
 
MATCH 14 DETAILS
Opponent: Clarion
Date: Friday – 6 p.m.
Location: Tippin Gym | Clarion, Pennsylvania
Video: Link
Live Stats: Link
In-match Updates: Twitter (@Rock_Athletics)
All-Time Series: SRU leads 57-51
Last Played: Nov. 5, 2021 (Clarion won 3-0)
 
SERIES HISTORY vs. CLARION
Clarion has won 16 straight matches in the series to cut The Rock's record over the Golden Eagles all-time to 57-51. SRU's last win against the Golden Eagles came in 2011.
 
Current SRU Roster vs. Clarion
(Per match averages)
Erica Selfridge: 6.5 Kills, 9.5 Digs (2 matches)
Abigail Koeller: 6.0 Kills, 7.3 Digs (3 matches)
Abigail Nigon: 3.0 Kills (.545%), 4.0 Blocks (2 matches)
 
MATCH 15 DETAILS
Opponent: Pitt-Johnstown
Date: Saturday – 2 p.m.
Location: The Sports Center | Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Video: Link
Live Stats: Link
In-match Updates: Twitter (@Rock_Athletics)
All-Time Series: UPJ leads 9-6
Last Played: Oct. 22, 2021 (UPJ won 3-0)
 
SERIES HISTORY vs. PITT-JOHNSTOWN
The Mountain Cats own a 9-6 record all-time against SRU. Slippery Rock won the first six matches of the series, but UPJ has taken the last nine contests.
 
Current SRU Roster vs. UPJ
(Per match averages)
Selfridge: 10.0 Kills (.241), 16.0 Digs, 1.0 Aces (2 matches)
Koeller: 8.3 Kills, 5.6 Digs (3 matches)
Chelsie Wheeler: 6.5 Kills, 1.0 Blocks (2 matches)
Nigon: 6.0 Kills (.286%), 3.0 Blocks (1 match)
Alayna Chizmar: 4.0 Kills (2 Matches)
Kate Lachendro: 22.5 Digs (2 Matches)

SLIPPERY ROCK PRIMER
2022 Stats: Link
2022 Roster: Link
Overall Record: 4-9
PSAC West Record: 1-1
PSAC West Standings: T-3rd
Home Record: 1-0
Away Record: 0-5
Neutral Site Record: 3-4
Streak: L1
Last 5 Matches: 1-4
Head Coach: Laurie Lokash | 39th Year (652-619 / .513)
 
ROCK STAT LEADERS
ATTACK: Erica Selfridge (110 kills / .149), Chelsie Wheeler (79 kills / .235)
ASSISTS: Jaeden Yost (267 / 5.24 per set)
ACES: Kate Lachendro (19), Yost (18)
DIGS: Lachendro (275 / 5.39 per set)
BLOCKS: Abigail Nigon (45), Stephanie O'Donnell (35)
 
SCOUTING THE ROCK
LAST TIME OUT
A Slippery Rock comeback bid came up just short in a five-set (25-20, 22-25, 25-19, 21-25, 15-12) loss on the road Sept. 16 at Edinboro.
 
ANOTHER 5-SETTER FOR SRU
The Edinboro match marked the third five-set contest over SRU's last six matches. The Rock have won two of those three matches and are 3-2 in five-set bouts dating back to its 2021 match against Kutztown.
 
SRU'S PSAC TEAM RANKINGS
Slippery Rock enters the weekend leading the PSAC in total bocks (116), digs per set (18.27) and total digs (932) while ranking second in blocks per set (2.27) and sixth in aces allowed per set (1.45).
 
4TH SET MAGIC FOR SRU
Eight of The Rock's 13 matches this season have gone at least four sets. Of those eight matches, Slippery Rock has won the fourth set five times.
 
LACHENDRO AMONG D2 DIG LEADERS
In addition to leading the PSAC in both categories, Slippery Rock libero Kate Lachendro heads to Clarion ranked seventh in the nation in total digs (275) and 12th in digs per set (5.39). Lachendro, who had 31 digs at Edinboro, is averaging 25.3 digs a contest over SRU's last six matches.
 
Not just an asset defensively, Lachendro is also second on the team in aces with 19.
 
SOPHOMORES LEADING THE ATTACK
The Slippery Rock offense has been led of late by the sophomore duo of Erica Selfridge and Chelsie Wheeler.
 
Selfridge has recorded double-digit kill totals in each of SRU's last two matches to push her team season-high total to 110 while Wheeler has served as a super sub of sorts for SRU by coming off the bench to post 79 kills on the season, including an average of 10.7 kills per match on a .319 attack percentage over The Rock's past three contests.
 
Selfridge is also second on the team in digs after 13 matches with 169 and third in aces with 16. Wheeler meanwhile ranks third for SRU in blocks (28) while holding the highest attack percentage (.235) of any Rock athlete with at least 200 attempts this season. 
 
ADDING TO THE OFFENSE
In addition to Selfridge and Wheeler, five other SRU athletes have recorded at least 50 kills this year in Alayna Chizmar (78), Abigail Koeller (65), Callie Chevalier (56), Abigail Nigon (55) and Mary Berger 952).
 
Koeller produced a season-high 15 kills for The Rock in the Edinboro match while Chizmar has four double-digit kill performances in 2022. Berger has compiled what is already a near career-high kill total on an efficient .290 attack percentage.
 
CAREER-NIGHT FOR YOST
Slippery Rock freshman setter Jaeden Yost recorded season-highs of 36 assists and 22 digs at Edinboro along with two blocks. Through the first 13 matches of her collegiate career, Yost has collected eight double-doubles while leading The Rock in assists (267 / 5.24 per set) in addition to ranking second in aces (18) and third in digs (149 / 2.92).
 
When Yost is off the court, The Rock's setting duties fall to Peytan Gullickson, who has 183 assists (3.73 per set) to go with four aces over 13 matches as a reserve so far in 2022.
 
ROCK WALL
Slippery Rock has tallied its league-high block rankings thanks in large part to the quartet of Nigon, Wheeler, Berger and Stephanie O'Donnell.
 
Nigon has paced the quartet with 45 blocks followed by O'Donnell (35), Wheeler (28) and Berger (25). Nigon and O'Donnell rank second and third, respectively, in the PSAC in blocks per set with Nigon also being slotted third in the league in total blocks.
 
With just over half the season remaining (17 matches), Slippery Rock is on pace to have four athletes each with at least 60 blocks in a single-season for the first time in documented program history.
 
SISTERLY RIVALRY
The Clarion will match will feature two sets of sisters on opposite sides of the net from one another as Erica Selfridge's sister, Abigail, and Maria Lucas' sister, Sophia, are both members of the Clarion volleyball roster.
 
All told, there will be four sister pairings on the court/sidelines Friday. In addition to the Lucas' and Selfridge's Slippery Rock also has twin sisters Mary and Jiley Berger on their roster in addition to sophomore outside hitter Paige Weeder and her sister Hunter, who is a student assistant for SRU.
 
DIG FOR THE CURE SET OCT. 11
Slippery Rock will host its annual Dig for the Cure match 7 p.m. Oct. 11 against Edinboro at Morrow Field House. The match marks The Rock's 16th year holding a Dig for the Cure event. Over that time, Slippery Rock has raised over $30,000 for breast cancer research and treatment.

NEXT FIVE MATCHES
Sept. 27 (7 p.m.) at Point Park
Sept. 30 (7 p.m.) vs. Gannon
Oct. 1 (2 p.m.) vs. Mercyhurst
Oct. 4 (7 p.m.) at California
Oct. 8 (12 p.m.) at Seton Hill
 
CLARION PRIMER
2022 Stats: Link
2022 Roster: Link
AVCA Top 25: Receiving Votes
Overall Record: 12-1
PSAC West Record: 2-0
PSAC West Standings: T-1st
Home Record: 5-0
Away Record: 3-1
Neutral Site Record: 4-0
Streak: W2
Last 5 Matches: 4-1
Head Coach: Jennifer Herron | 16th Year (350-156 / .692)
 
CLARION STAT LEADERS
ATTACK: Julia Piccolino (157 kills / .220), Amy Regrut (104 kills / .261)
ASSISTS: London Fuller (495 / 11.25 per set)
ACES: Piccolino (24), Hailey Barden (24)
DIGS: Abigail Selfridge (186 / 4.23 per set)
BLOCKS: Lauren Aichinger (35), Alyson Peters (28)
 
CLARION PSAC RANKINGS
Attack %: 2nd (.252)
Opponent Attack %: 4th (.127)
Kills Per Set: 1st (14.14)
Blocks Per Set: 4th (1.82)
Aces Per Set: 4th (2.43)
Digs Per Set: 11th (14.41)
 
PITT-JOHNSTOWN PRIMER
2022 Stats: Link
2022 Roster: Link
Overall Record: 6-8
PSAC West Record: 0-2
PSAC West Standings: T-8th
Home Record: 1-1
Away Record: 0-4
Neutral Site Record: 5-3
Streak: L2
Last 5 Matches: 3-2
Head Coach: Morgan Mammosser | Second Year (18-21 / .462)
 
UPJ STAT LEADERS
ATTACK: Lualis Alvardo (138 / .161), Mallory Pinski (85 / .261)
ASSISTS: Adiamar Beaz (266 / 5.78 per set)
ACES: Beaz (17)
DIGS: Beaz (135 / 2.93 per set)
BLOCKS: Pinski (41), Abi Leitner (30)
 
UPJ PSAC RANKINGS
Attack %: 12th (.148)
Opponent Attack %: 12th (.175)
Kills Per Set: 13th (10.52)
Blocks Per Set: 5th (1.72)
Aces Per Set: 17th (1.44)
Digs Per Set: 12th (14.26)
 
UP NEXT
Slippery Rock steps out of PSAC West competition when it travels to Point Park University for a 7 p.m. match Sept. 27.
 



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