SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University volleyball team opened its final weekend of the 2024 season in fine fashion Friday night by beating Edinboro in five sets (23-25, 25-13, 25-22, 22-25, 15-11) at Morrow Field House.
 
With the win, Slippery Rock improves its overall record on the year to 12-13 overall and its Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division mark to 5-8. Meanwhile, Edinboro leaves SRU at 14-12 overall and 5-8 in league competition.
 
Friday's win also served as SRU's fourth at Morrow Field House this season, thus ensuring that The Rock will finish the year with a winning record at home for a third consecutive season.
 
Slippery Rock earned the PSAC West win behind a well-rounded team effort that saw three athletes finish with double-digit kill totals, three with multiple blocks, three that served at least one ace and four with a minimum of 10 digs.
 
Overall, The Rock finished with advantages over the Fighting Scots in kills (57-53), attack percentage (.177-.126), aces (6-3) and total blocks (11-7).
 
Callie Chevalier led SRU to the win with a big night that resulted in 16 kills and six blocks (one solo / five assisted). Aslyn Pry put forth an impressive effort of her own, matching Chevalier with six blocks in addition to tallying 11 kills, on a .478 attack percentage to go with one ace.
 
Erica Selfridge registered her 14th double-double of the season, this one of the 14-kill, 17-dig variety that also included three aces and one block.
 
The trio of Chelsie Wheelier (8), Lauren VonderHaar (4) and Marley Annis (3) added to the offensive attack as well with multiple kills each while VonderHaar – who ranks second inside the PSAC West in blocks – collected four more rejections (three solo / one assisted) Friday to push her season total to a new personal-best 119.
 
VonderHaar will now enter Saturday's season finale tied with Lisa Bakaitis (2008-11) for 10th in program history for blocks in a career (255).
 
Setter Jaeden Yost oversaw SRU's attack with 30 assists which accompanied one ace and 21 digs. Brooke Farrah shared setting duties with Yost, finishing with 16 over four sets.
 
Libero Kate Lachendro-Biery compiled a team-best 23 digs throughout the win. Rounding out The Rock's top performers were Kara Pasquale (10 digs) and Paityn Krause (5 digs / 1 ace).
 
After losing the opener in a close 25-23 decision, Slippery Rock dominated the second set on the way to a 25-13 match-evening triumph.
 
The second set was highlighted by what was one of the longest runs of the season for The Rock. Already leading 4-2 early on, SRU proceeded to rattle off nine consecutive points and stretch its advantage out to 13-2 which provided more than enough cushion for an eventual 12-point win.
 
Three of the points over the decisive run came from Chevalier via two blocks and a kill.  
 
Trailing 10-8 in the third set, Slippery Rock again delivered a big spurt by taking eight of the following nine points and grabbing a five-point (16-11) lead midway through the set.
 
While the Fighting Scots would cut SRU's lead to one point on four separate occasions over the remainder of the set, they could never complete their rally as Slippery Rock closed out a 25-22 win thanks in part to Selfridge who had an ace and a kill leading to a VonderHar set-deciding kill.
 
To their credit, Edinboro re-grouped from the consecutive losses to take the fourth set, 25-22, and send the match into a fifth-and-deciding set. However, any thoughts of pulling off the road comeback victory were promptly put to rest by Slippery Rock in the fifth set.
 
Edinboro did capture three consecutive points to start the final set of the evening only for The Rock to respond with an 11-2 run which essentially sealed the match as the Fighting Scots could only cut their deficit to three points late before giving way to a 15-11 SRU win.
 
Friday's match was just the fourth five-set contest of the year for Slippery Rock. SRU's win gives The Rock and Fighting Scots a season split as each team won on their own home floor.
 
Jessica Hardin and Makayla Neelands combined for 27 kills to lead Edinboro in the loss.
 
Slippery Rock returns to competition 2 p.m. Saturday when it hosts Gannon University at Morrow Field House.




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