SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University volleyball team lost a tight five-set match against Gannon University Tuesday at Morrow Field House.
 
Slippery Rock started its 2023 home-opener by taking the first two sets from the Golden Knights, 25-20 and 25-21. However, Gannon, which was receiving votes in the most recent American Volleyball Coaches Association Top-25 Poll, rallied back from the early losses with consecutive 25-22, 25-15 and 15-11 set victories to escape with a win.
 
The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division defeat moves The Rock's record to 8-5 overall and 0-1 in league contests while Gannon improves to 9-2 overall and 1-0 in the PSAC West. The win also extended Gannon's winning streak to eight matches.
 
Tuesday's match marked the first time in the last 13 matches in the series that SRU has taken GU to five sets. Slippery Rock has also now played to five sets in six consecutive home-opening matches.
 
Erica Selfridge, Alayna Chizmar and Chelsie Wheeler paced The Rock's attack Tuesday as the trio combined for 39 kills on a .238 attack percentage. Individually, Selfridge posted a 14-kill, 23-dig double-double, Wheeler went for 12 kills and two blocks while Chizmar closed the match at 13 kills.
 
Lauren VonderHaar, the reigning PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Week, collected five blocks with Mary Berger adding five kills and three blocks of her own. Further aiding The Rock's defensive efforts against Gannon was libero Kate Lachendro, who came away with a match-high 25 digs all the while serving two aces.
 
In addition to passing out a team-high 24 assists and making 14 digs for her fifth double-double of the year, setter Jaeden Yost also served a Rock-best three aces. Peytan Gullickson chipped in 13 assists as well.
 
SRU jumped out to an early 9-4 lead in the opening set and would go on to extend its lead out to as many as seven points before Gannon battled back to pull even at 20-20. Slippery Rock went on to hold GU off over the remainder of the set courtesy of a 5-0 run that was highlighted by a two VonderHaar blocks.
 
The Golden Knights were the aggressors early in the second set as the visitors darted out to a 9-2 lead only for a resilient Rock roster to answer with an impressive 15-3 run and take a five-point advantage at 17-12, forcing a Gannon timeout. Selfridge spearheaded the run with four kills and a block.
 
While Gannon once again clawed back into contention by cutting The Rock's lead down to as little as one point on two separate occasions, SRU was ultimately able to take advantage of a trio of GU errors to end the set with a 25-21 victory.
 
However, Slippery Rock could not quite finish out the match as the Golden Knights withstood a late SRU run in the third set en route to a 25-22 win followed by a 25-15 fourth-set triumph to push The Rock to a fifth set.
 
The deciding set was a back-and-forth game nearly its entire duration as neither team led by more than three points until the conclusion in which Gannon accounted for three of the final four points for a 15-11 match-deciding decision.
 
Slippery Rock ended the night holding team advantages over Gannon in total kills (55-54), aces (6-5) and digs (85-83) while the Golden Knights bettered The Rock in attack percentage (.140-.124) and total blocks (15-10).
 
Gannon was led by Journey Blevins and Lauren Atwell. Blevins recorded a match-best 17 kills and Atwell compiled eight blocks.
 
Slippery Rock continues PSAC West competition when 7 p.m. Friday at Clarion.





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