SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University volleyball team won the first two sets it played at home this season, but couldn't quite complete the decision as Clarion rallied to earn a five-set victory over The Rock Friday at Morrow Field House.
Slippery Rock registered a pair of 29-27, 25-14 victories in the first two sets only for the Golden Eagles to capture consecutive 25-23, 25-15, 15-10 triumphs en route to the comeback win.
The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division loss drops The Rock's record to 8-8 overall and 1-3 in league matches while the Golden Eagles improve to 9-6 overall and 3-1 in conference competition.
Friday's match served as the seventh consecutive home-opener for Slippery Rock that has gone a full five sets. Additionally, the two sets won by SRU marked the first such against Clarion since 2019.
In front of what was one of the more boisterous home crowds in recent memory,
Erica Selfridge turned in one of the top single-match performances of her career by way of a 21-kill, 13-dig, two-block double-double that included a .236 attack percentage. Selfridge's kill output matched her previous career-high.
Senior libero
Kate Lachendro-Biery aided The Rock's defensive efforts that limited Clarion to its sixth-lowest attack percentage of the season by making a season-best 32 digs. Lachendro-Biery is now all but assured of becoming SRU's all-time digs leader the next time she takes the floor as she needs just five more to surpass the current program record of 1,950 belonging to Sally Scott (1997-00).
Callie Chevalier joined Selfridge with a double-digit kill output of 10 while
Kaitlyn Danszczak (9) and
Chelsie Wheeler (8) supplemented the attack. Danszczak also served one of SRU's three aces on the evening.
In addition to compiling six kills on a .357 attack percentage,
Aslyn Pry also had six blocks. Fellow middle hitter
Lauren VonderHaar came away with three rejections (one solo / two assisted) of her own with Danszczak (4), Wheeler (2) and Selfridge (2) all chipping multiple blocks assists as well.
Jaeden Yost directed the offense with 26 assists and freshman
Kara Pasquale served a team-high two aces. Fellow rookie
Paityn Krause finished just shy of a double-double with 17 assists and eight digs.
The first set was a chaotic back-and-forth affair in which both teams traded big runs. With the opener knotted at 11-11 Slippery Rock proceeded to register 11 of following 14 points to gain a seemingly comfortable 22-14 advantage.
Not to be outdone, Clarion stormed back with a 13-4 run of its own which gave the Golden Eagles a 27-26 set-point situation only for SRU to re-group and earn three consecutive points on the way to polishing off a 29-27 win thanks to kills from Pry and Danszczak sandwiched around a Clarion attack error.
SRU and Clarion traded points early in the second set. The Rock clawed out to a slim 12-10 lead before rattling off its biggest point streak of the night with eight unanswered that busted the set open.
The run was highlighted by Pry and Selfridge as the pair had two kills each and combined for a block that paved the way to an eventual 25-14 win.
The home victory was not to be as Clarion first avoided the sweep by taking the final three points of the third set for the 25-23 win followed by a convincing 25-15 victory that pushed the match into a fifth and deciding set.
Clarion captured seven of the opening 10 points in the fifth set and seemed poised to run away with the win before Slippery Rock countered via a clutch 5-1 run which pulled the contest even at 8-8.
However, Slippery Rock was unable to salvage the evening as Clarion controlled the final stretch of the game with a 7-2 spurt of its own for the 15-10 match-winning decision.
The Rock closed the night holding advantages over Clarion in kills (58-57) and digs (84-82). The Golden Eagles edged SRU in aces (4-3) and total blocks (15-9). Both teams recorded matching .169 attack percentages.
Cassidy Snider paced the Clarion attack in the form of a 27-kill, 18-dig, five-block showing.
SRU returns to competition 2 p.m. Saturday when it hosts Indiana University (Pa.) at Morrow Field House.
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