FAIRMONT, W. Va. - The Slippery Rock University volleyball team opened its 2024 season with a pair of victories Friday at the Fairmont State Classic in Fairmont, West Virginia.
 
Slippery Rock officially began its year with 3-0 (25-22, 25-19, 25-17) sweep of Virginia Union University followed later in the evening by a four-set (24-26, 25-13, 25-15, 25-11) win over Bloomsburg.
 
Friday's results mark the second consecutive year in which Slippery Rock has won its first two matches of the season. Virginia Union and Bloomsburg both exited day one of the Fairmont State Classic with matching 0-2 records.
 
Slippery Rock was efficient on the attack for the duration of Friday's events with a .203 team attack percentage. Erica Selfridge and Kaitlyn Danszczak led the way with 16 kills apiece while Selfridge also served six aces over the two matches.
 
The Rock's new middle hitter combination of Lauren VonderHaar and Aslyn Pry proved to be a formidable duo up front with 18 total blocks – VonderHaar with 10 and Pry with eight – in addition to 20 combined kills.
 
Setter Jaeden Yost paced the attack with 38 assists while serving five aces and libero Kate Lachendro-Biery left day one of the 2024 season with a team-best 28 digs to round out The Rock's top performers through the two outings.

SLIPPERY ROCK 3 -  VIRGINIA UNION 0
Set Scores: 25-22, 25-19, 25-17
 
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
• The Rock captured their 10th season-opening win in the last 11 years courtesy of a balanced offensive attack that saw six athletes tally at least four kills apiece and a defensive effort which limited Virginia Union to a .040 attack percentage.
 
• Selfridge, a Two-time All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division honoree, paced SRU's efforts in the victory with a solid all-around nine-kill, three-ace, three-block, six-dig showing that included a .227 attack percentage.
 
• The duo of Danszczak and Chelsie Wheeler contributed seven kills apiece while VonderHaar and Pry combined to produce 10 kills and five blocks.
 
• In what was the first significant playing time of her career, Brooke Farrah turned in a 17-assist, two-ace effort while true freshman Gwen McCarthy chipped in four kills, two aces and 10 digs of her own.
 
• Yost distributed 17 assists and served two aces.
 
• SRU earned the win by holding advantages over Virginia Union in kills (38-25), attack percentage (.178-.040), aces (10-6) and digs (45-44).
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Virginia Union started the contest as the aggressors with an early 6-2 run only for The Rock to answer back with four consecutive points of their own to pull even with their counterparts from the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association.
 
The Rock and Panthers proceeded to trade points, ultimately playing to a 12-12 tie before SRU went on a decisive 11-5 run that opened a 23-17 advantage.
 
While VUU did battle back with five consecutive points, Slippery Rock was able to fend off the upset minded Panthers by taking the final two points of the set courtesy of a VonderHaar kill and Selfridge block for the 25-22 triumph.
 
The second set was all Slippery Rock. SRU captured 15 of the game's opening 20 points and never looked back as the sizable lead allowed The Rock to withstand a late Virginia Union run on the way the 25-19 win.  
 
As was the case in the previous set, The Rock once came out hot in third thanks to six consecutive points to begin what turned out to be the final set of the match. Slippery Rock ultimately led wire-to-wire in the third en route to closing out the sweep with a 25-17 win.

SLIPPERY ROCK 3 - BLOOMSBURG 1
Set Scores: 24-26, 25-13, 25-15, 25-11
 
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
• Slippery Rock posted an impressive collective .226 attack percentage in addition to 13 total blocks and seven aces. Defensively, The Rock kept Bloomsburg to a -.050 attack percentage.
 
• Callie Chevalier made her season-debut in the victory, finishing with a match-high 11 kills alongside a .276 attack percentage, six digs and one block.
 
• VonderHaar and Pry were once again Impenetrable up front for The Rock. VonderHaar collected seven blocks with Pry close behind at six rejections of her own. The pair was also responsible for 10 total kills.
 
• Danszczak followed a solid season-opener by going for career-highs in both kills (9) and blocks (3) in the nightcap.
 
• In addition to guiding The Rock's offense with 21 assists, Yost also served three aces and made 15 digs for SRU's first double-double of the season. Selfridge matched Yost with three aces of her own all the while coming away with seven kills, 12 digs and two blocks.
 
• Lachendro-Biery paced all athletes with a match-high 19 digs.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Following a close 26-24 loss in the opening set, Slippery Rock played a dominant set in the second.
 
The Rock effectively put the set out of reach early on by jumping out to a 12-4 lead prior to extending its advantage out to as many as 13 points before closing out the 25-13 win. SRU posted a .231 attack percentage in the set while holding Bloomsburg to a scant -.049.
 
Slippery Rock successfully maintained its momentum in the third set for a 25-15 result thanks in no small part to five total team blocks and a .280 attack percentage to send the match into a fourth.
 
Any thoughts of the Huskies pushing the contest into a fifth and deciding set were promptly dashed by Slippery Rock midway through the fourth by way of a match-ending 10-1 run that gave SRU its 25-11 victory.
 
UP NEXT
Slippery Rock concludes its time at the Fairmont State Classic with two matches Saturday beginning at 2 p.m. against Lenoir-Rhyne University and 6 p.m. versus host Fairmont State University.







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