SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University volleyball team earned its first Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division victory of the season Friday with a four-set win against Mercyhurst University at Morrow Field House.
 
After dropping the opening set to the Lakers, 25-19, The Rock rallied with consecutive 25-23, 25-21 and 25-16 set victories to record the home win.
 
Friday's result improves The Rock's record to 9-6 overall and 1-2 in the PSAC West while the Lakers fall to 3-8 overall and 1-2 in league competition. SRU's nine victories represent the program's highest win total through its first 15 matches since going 11-4 to begin the 2014 campaign.
 
Leading the way in the victory with a pair of double-doubles was the outside hitter duo of Erica Selfridge and Callie Chevalier.
 
While matching her career-high with four aces and recording two blocks, Selfridge also went for a match-best 13 kills in addition to 20 digs. Chevalier meanwhile turned in an 11-kill, 21-dig effort. Selfridge and Chevalier finished the match with a .216 combined attack percentage.
 
Alayna Chizmar overcame a shaky opening two sets to finish the match with nine kills, three aces and a block. Chelsie Wheeler and Lauren VonderHaar rounded out The Rock's attack with six kills apiece. The pair also combined to register six total blocks with VonderHaar tallying four and Wheeler chipping in two.
 
Jaeden Yost guided the offense with 26 assists and 12 digs all the while coming away with one block in what was her sixth double-double of the season. Peytan Gullickson partnered with Yost to split setting duties on a 14-assist night. Libero Kate Lachendro had 14 digs and two aces.
 
Following its first-set win, it appeared as if Mercyhurst was poised to take the second set as well with a 23-21 lead. However, SRU set the tone for the rest of the night by producing four unanswered points - two of which came on a VonderHaar block and a Selfridge kill - on the way to 25-23 victory.
 
The Lakers also held a slim 16-15 lead midway through the third set, but in a sign of things to come, Slippery Rock controlled the remainder of the game with a 10-5 run that led to a 25-21 decision.
 
SRU closed out the match by jumping out to a quick 18-11 lead in the fourth set before trading points for the remainder of the match en route to a 25-16 match-deciding victory.
 
As a team, The Rock matched their season-best with 10 aces and finished match holding advantages over the Lakers in the category (10-6) in addition to total blocks (7-3) and digs (94-74) while Mercyhurst held edges over SRU in kills (49-48) and attack percentage (.212-.184).
 
Andrea Zaric led Mercyhurst's efforts with 10 kills, five aces and nine digs. Maggie Thomas and Kate Hennessy finished with 12 and 11 kills, respectively.
 
Slippery Rock closes out the weekend with another home PSAC West match against Edinboro 4 p.m. Saturday at Morrow Field House.





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