SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University volleyball team defeated Seton Hill University in four sets (25-23, 25-20, 12-25, 25-13) for a key early-season Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division victory Friday at Morrow Field House.
 
The win snaps a brief two-match slide for SRU and improves its record to 8-7 overall and 1-1 inside the PSAC West while the visiting Griffins drop to 8-5 overall and 2-1 in league matches.
 
Slippery Rock was led in the victory by freshman Emry Rumbaugh, who registered a match-best 14 kills on an ultra-efficient .353 attack percentage to go with four total blocks (one solo / three assisted).
 
Callie Chevalier nearly matched Rumbaugh's kill output with 13 of her own all the while making 13 digs for her team-leading ninth double-double of the season.
 
Ava Haynes and Marley Annis chipped in six kills apiece to round out SRU's attack leaders while the duo of Paityn Krause and Jaeden Yost guided the offense with 26 assists and 17 assists, respectively.
 
Yost, who was playing in her 100th career match, also served a pair of aces. Following her Friday night production, Yost now ranks eighth in program history for assists in a career (1,937) and 11th in aces (132).
 
Defensively, Slippery Rock limited Seton Hill – which came into the match carrying a .220 attack percentage on the season – to a .167 showing thanks in no small part to 23 digs from Kara Pasquale and six total blocks (two solo / four assisted) by Lauren VonderHaar.
 
VonderHaar's six-rejection showing moved her into a tie alongside Louise Schultz (2004-07) for third place in program history for blocks in a career with 334.
 
Collectively, Slippery Rock compiled a single-match season-best .219 attack percentage. On the night, SRU held team advantages over the Griffins in attack percentage (.219-.167), aces (4-3) and total blocks (8-6) while SHU narrowly bettered The Rock in total kills (49-47) and digs (67-59).
 
Slippery Rock darted out to consecutive 25-23, 25-20 set victories to gain an edge it would ultimately never relinquish on its home floor.
 
With the opening set in 23-23 tie, SRU took advantage of a Griffin serving error followed by a Rumbaugh kill to close out the triumph. Chevalier (5), Annis (4) and Rumbaugh (4) combined for 13 kills in the first set.
 
The Rock took 10 of the first 15 points in the second set and while Seton Hill would rally to cut its deficit to as little as one point on five separate occasions a comeback was not to be as Slippery Rock ended the set on a 4-0 run with two of the final points coming on Rumbaugh kills. Four of Haynes' six kills came in the second set.
 
The Griffins avoided the sweep via a 25-12 win in the third set, but any thoughts of comeback were put to rest in the fourth set as The Rock battled their way out to a sizable 21-10 advantage en route to the match-deciding 25-13 win. Gwen McCarthy came on for three kills and a block in the final set of the night.
 
Seton Hill was led in the loss by 13-kill efforts from both Catie Flohr and Elizabeth Kolkowski.
 
Slippery Rock continues its five-match homestand 2 p.m. Saturday against California (Pa.) at Morrow Field House.





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