Roster  |  Schedule  |  2022 Statistics
 
LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University volleyball team was picked to finish fifth in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division this year, the league office announced Thursday with the release of its annual preseason coaches' poll.
 
SRU is coming off a solid 2022 season in which it went 14-16 overall and 8-8 inside the PSAC West. The Rock's 14 overall wins represented the second most victories for the program since 2012 while the 8-8 league record marked the first time SRU finished the season with a .500 or better winning percentage in league competition since 2006.
 
Slippery Rock is slated to return 15 athletes from a season ago, eight of which appeared in at least 20 matches including five that logged 17 or more starts.
 
The PSAC splits its 17 teams into Western and Eastern Divisions with the top four teams in the conference standings at the end of the regular season qualifying for the PSAC Tournament. With a bevy of returners combined with a promising recruiting class, Slippery Rock will look to make its first appearance in the conference tournament since 2008. 
 
Defending PSAC Champions, and national quarterfinalists, Gannon University was tabbed to win the Western Division after garnering seven first-place votes. Clarion was slotted second after taking two first-place votes followed in the top half of the poll by Indiana University (Pa.), Edinboro and The Rock.
 
Seton Hill University, Pitt-Johnstown, California (Pa.) and Mercyhurst University rounded out the back half of the PSAC West poll.
 
Three different teams received first-place votes in the Eastern Division with East Stroudsburg University ultimately leading the way in first place followed by Shepherd University, Shippensburg University, West Chester University, Kutztown University, Millersville University, Bloomsburg University and Lock Haven University.

COACHING STAFF
One of the most decorated coaches in not only the PSAC, but all of NCAA Division II, Laurie Lokash will enter her 40th season in charge of the Slippery Rock volleyball program in 2023.
 
Over her storied career, Lokash has recorded 662 wins, which ranks first in PSAC history and 21st all-time in NCAA Division II. Lokash, who enters the 2023 season as the eighth winningest active coach in the nation, is just four wins away from passing Frank Lavrisha (1986-2020 / Regis) for 20th on Division II's career wins ledger.
 
The 2023 season will mark Erin Street's 14th year overall as an assistant coach at The Rock. As the top assistant on Lokash's staff, Street plays an integral role in all facets of the program. Over her first 13 seasons at Slippery Rock, Street has helped coach SRU to four NCAA Tournament appearances, 175 wins and 11 American Volleyball Coaches Association Team Academic Awards.

RETURNING SENIORS
Slippery Rock received pleasant news over summer when outside hitter Alayna Chizmar decided to use her final season of eligibility as she works towards her MBA. A veteran of 62 career matches, 42 being starts, Chizmar has produced at least 140 kills and double-digit totals in both blocks and aces in each of the last two years.
 
One of the top liberos in the Atlantic Region, Kate Lachendro closed her junior year ranked 11th in the nation in digs per set (5.38) and 20th in total digs (586) all the while serving 31 aces and chipping in 81 assists. Lachendro, who totaled at least 20 digs in a match on 16 occasions while serving three or more aces three times last year, will begin 2023 ranked 20th in program history in career digs at 1,144.
 
After serving as The Rock's third setter in 2021, Peytan Gullickson saw an uptick in playing time last season and responded by finishing the year ranked second for SRU in assists with 325 (3.61 per set) to go with 109 digs over 25 matches.
 
One of two sister pairings on the active roster, middle hitters Mary Berger and Jiley Berger are back for a final season in the program. Mary Berger is coming off her best collegiate season to date as she produced career-highs in 2022 in starts (18), matches played (25), kills (89), attack percentage (.215), total blocks (44) and solo blocks (nine).
 
Setter Elsie Williams joined the program a year ago and made her Slippery Rock debut with an assist in one set as part of a three-set victory at home over Mercyhurst.

RETURNING JUNIORS
Headlining The Rock's returning juniors is All-PSAC West outside hitter Erica Selfridge. As the only SRU athlete to start all 30 matches in 2022, Selfridge had a breakout season with 275 kills, a .181 attack percentage, 347 digs, 33 aces and 27 blocks.
 
Selfridge, who ranked 14th in the PSAC in both total kills and kills per set (2.62), also displayed her versatility in the late stages of last year when she recorded 60 assists over SRU's last five matches following an injury to one of The Rock's two primary setters.
 
Now in her third season with the program, outside hitter Chelsie Wheeler has appeared in 58 of a possible 60 matches during her time at SRU and has tallied at least 125 kills and 35 blocks in each of her first two collegiate seasons.
 
Rounding out The Rock's returning juniors are defensive specialist Syd Montana and outside hitter / defensive specialist Paige Weeder, who served a career-best 14 aces last year.

RETURNING SOPHOMORES
Outside hitter Callie Chevalier closed last year as one of The Rock's most dangerous attackers. Chevalier recorded 57 kills on a .134 attack percentage with 12 blocks in the first 11 matches of her collegiate career before coming on strong to post 108 kills via a .223 attack percentage to go along with 20 blocks in her last 12 appearances of 2022.
 
After redshirting due to injury a year ago, outside hitter Sydney Ryan is fully healthy. As a freshman in 2021, Ryan appeared in 13 matches and recorded 24 kills.
 
Middle hitter Lauren VonderHaar and defensive specialist Arielle Walter are both back as well after appearing in 13 and three matches, respectively, as freshmen. VonderHaar closed her rookie season on a strong note by going for five kills and 10 blocks in The Rock's four-set victory against California (Pa.) on Nov. 4. The performance resulted in VonderHaar being named the PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Week.
 
As a freshman in 2022 setter Jaeden Yost earned immediate playing time and ended the season leading The Rock in both assists (603 / 5.48 per set) and aces (38) in addition to ranking third in digs (279 / 2.54) over 30 matches played, 28 of which were starts. Yost closed her rookie campaign with at least one ace in seven straight matches.

INCOMING RECRUITING CLASS
Slippery Rock's 2023 recruiting class is made up of outside hitter Kaitlyn Danszczak, setter / defensive specialist Brooke Farrah, middle hitter Victoria Nalbach, middle hitter Aslyn Pry, setter Jalynn West, defensive specialist Jordan West and middle hitter Chase Young.
 
While Danszczak, Farrah, Nalbach and Jalynn West are all embarking on their rookie seasons, the trio of Pry, Jordan West and Young all come to The Rock with prior collegiate experience.
 
West, a senior, is a veteran of 72 collegiate matches between West Virginia State University and Wheeling University. She has produced career totals of 358 digs and 28 aces entering the 2023 season.
 
Young, a junior, played in eight matches at the Community College of Beaver County last season and finished the year averaging 3.26 kills and 2.7 digs per set while posting a .201 attack percentage.
 
Pry, who like Young is a junior in athletic eligibility, was a two-sport star in volleyball and basketball at nearby Butler County Community College. She earned NJCAA All-America honors in 2022 after posting 301 kills (3.86), a NJCAA Division III best .432 attack percentage, 42 aces and 59 blocks.
 
In addition to her volleyball exploits at Butler, Pry also led NJCAA Division III basketball in rebounding and was third in the nation in scoring last season.

SCHEDULE
Slippery Rock's 2023 schedule consists of 29 matches. In addition to its 16-match PSAC West slate, SRU will also compete in 13 non-conference contests.
 
The Rock opens the year with 12 consecutive matches on the road at the Fairmont State Classic (Sept. 1-2 vs. Ursuline, Elizabeth City State, Anderson, Fairmont State) followed by four matches at the Hall of Fame City Challenge (Sept. 8-9 vs. Walsh, Roberts Wesleyan, Frostburg State, Malone) and finally at the Atlantic Region Crossover (Sept. 15-16 vs. West Liberty, Notre Dame, Wheeling, Fairmont State).
 
The remainder of The Rock's non-conference schedule consists of another away match Sept. 16 at Wheeling.
 
Slippery Rock's PSAC West schedules features home-and-home matches against Gannon (Sept. 19-H / Oct. 20-A), Clarion (Sept. 22-A / Oct. 17-H), Mercyhurst (Sept. 29-H / Oct. 28-A), Edinboro (Sept. 30-H / Oct. 27-A), Seton Hill (Oct. 3-H / Nov. 4-A), California (Oct. 6-A / Oct. 31-H), Pitt-Johnstown (Oct. 13-A / Nov. 11-H) and Indiana (Oct. 14-A / Nov. 10-H).
 
A comprehensive breakdown of Slippery Rock's 2023 schedule, roster and coaching staff can be found by following the corresponding links at the top of the page.

2023 PSAC Preseason Coaches' Poll
First-place votes in parentheses
West Division
1) Gannon (7)
2) Clarion (2)
3) Indiana (Pa.)
4) Edinboro
5) Slippery Rock
6) Seton Hill
7) Pitt-Johnstown
8) California (Pa.)
9) Mercyhurst
 
East Division
1) East Stroudsburg (4)
2) Shepherd (2)
3) Shippensburg (2)
4) West Chester
5) Kutztown
6) Millersville
7) Bloomsburg
8) Lock Haven




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