SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University volleyball team lost a tight five-set (17-25, 25-17, 25-19, 14-25, 17-15) decision to Clarion in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division competition Friday at Morrow Field House.
 
Friday's loss drops The Rock's record to 9-12 overall and 2-6 in league matches while the Golden Eagles narrowly improve to 10-11 overall and 4-4 in conference competition.
 
SRU was led on the night by the senior combination of Lauren VonderHaar and Callie Chevalier.
 
VonderHaar produced a great all-around performance of 13 kills on a .310 attack percentage to go with nine total blocks (five solo / four assisted) and two aces. Chevalier racked up a 12-kill, 15-dig double-double that also included one ace.
 
Following Friday's match, VonderHaar now needs just four rejections over the remainder of the year to become The Rock's leader for blocks in a career. The record currently belongs to Laurie Flynn (368, 1991-94). Meanwhile, Chevalier climbed to 13th on SRU's all-time kill ledger with 882.
 
Behind VonderHaar and Chevalier on the attack was Ava Haynes, Emry Rumbaugh and Kaitlyn Danszczak. The trio combined for 17 kills as Haynes tallied seven with Rumbaugh and Danszczak adding five apiece.
 
Danszczak also compiled career-highs in aces (3) and digs (12). In addition to her kill output, Haynes posted three total blocks (one solo / two assisted).
 
Setters Paityn Krause (20 assists, 13 digs) and Jaeden Yost (14 assists, 10 digs) each registered double-doubles. Yost also served two aces.
 
Playing as Slippery Rock's primary libero for the first time, Arielle Walter delivered a career-high 23 digs.
 
For the match, Slippery Rock held edges over Clarion in aces (9-6), blocks (12-11) and digs (86-82) while the Golden Eagles nipped SRU in kills (59-46) and attack percentage (.168-.150). Slippery Rock's attack percentage against Clarion was its highest since hitting .200 in a four-set win over Oct. 4 against California.

As has been the case all season, Slippery Rock came out hot to start the night for a convincing 25-17 win in the first set. SRU has now taken the opening set in 13 of its 21 matches this season. The Rock ended the opener with a .276 attack percentage.
 
The Golden Eagles answered the early loss with 25-17 and 25-19 wins through the following two games only for Slippery Rock to respond with a dominating 25-14 victory in the fourth, pushing Clarion to a fifth and deciding set.
 
VonderHaar had six kills and two blocks in the fourth set. Defensively, SRU limited Clarion to a -.077 attack percentage in the penultimate set.
 
The Rock appeared poised to grab their first victory over Clarion since 2011 when they jumped out to an 8-3 advantage in the fifth set only for the Golden Eagles to account for 10 of the following 15 points to push the set into a 13-13 tie.
 
Despite the big Clarion run, Slippery Rock still positioned itself into a match point situation when VonderHaar and Chevalier combined for a block of Claire Bickett to give SRU a 14-13 advantage.
 
However, a win was not to be as Clarion staved off defeat by taking the following point. From there, the two evenly matched teams played to a 15-15 tie before Bickett and Karlee Berchtold earned back-to-back kills for the match-clinching 17-15 win.
 
Bickett had 20 kills to lead the Golden Eagles. Friday's win gives Clarion the season series over SRU. The Golden Eagles also eked out a five-set victory against The Rock at home earlier in the year.
 
Slippery Rock returns to the road for back-to-back matches 6 p.m. Oct. 31 at California (Pa.) and 1 p.m. Nov. 1 at Seton Hill.




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