CLARION, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University volleyball team lost a close five-set (23-25, 25-23, 25-17, 23-25, 15-8) Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division decision on the road Wednesday at Clarion.
 
The loss snaps a four-match winning streak for The Rock, dropping their record to 7-6 overall and 0-1 inside the PSAC West while the host Golden Eagles improve to 6-6 overall and 1-0 in league competition.
 
Freshman Emry Rumbaugh led three Rock athletes that finished with double-digit kill totals with a season-high 14 on an impeccable .458 attack percentage. The rookie also closed the night with a pair of blocks.
 
Marley Annis collected a 13-kill, 17-dig double-double while reigning PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Week Lauren VonderHaar posted 11 kills and three blocks (two solo / one assisted).
 
The trio of Rumbaugh, Annis and VonderHaar combined for a .295 attack percentage.
 
Paityn Krause distributed 26 assists while fellow setter Jaeden Yost tallied a 14-assist, 19-dig double-double all the while serving two aces. Yost's 19 digs were a team-best.
 
Joining Rumbaugh and VonderHaar with multi-block matches with three apiece were Victoria Nalbach (3) and Callie Chevalier (3).

Clarion jumped out to a 15-10 lead in the opening set only for The Rock to answer back with five consecutive points to pull the set into a 15-15 tie. From there, SRU and the Golden Eagles traded points heading into an eventual 23-23 stalemate before back-to-back kills from Rumbaugh and = Annis gave Slippery Rock a 25-23 decision.
 
Annis and Rumbaugh combined for nine kills for The Rock in the opening set. SRU has won the first set in nine of its 13 matches this season.
 
The Golden Eagles once again opened up a sizable advantage in the second set at 16-8 and SRU once more clawed its way back into contention by pushing its way into a 19-19 tie before a block by VonderHaar gave The Rock a one-point advantage. However, Clarion answered SRU's strong run by capturing six of the set's following nine points on the way to a 25-23 win.  
 
The host Golden Eagles built out another 16-8 lead in the third set, but unlike the previous two sets Slippery Rock could never quite mount a serious comeback as Clarion grabbed a 25-17 victory.
 
In contrast to the first three sets, it was Slippery Rock that took an early advantage in the fourth set in the form of a 12-8 edge. SRU kept Clarion at bay for much of the match before a late Golden Eagle run evened the set at 23-23, but another VonderHaar block and a Clarion miscue gave way to a 25-23 Rock win, forcing a fifth set.
 
A completed Rock rally was not to be though as Clarion took the opening seven points of the final set to stake claim to a lead it would never relinquish en route to a 15-8 match-deciding victory.
 
Clarion closed the night holding advantages over The Rock in kills (69-53), attack percentage (.239-.144), aces (6-4), digs (89-80) and total blocks (11-7). The Golden Eagles were led by Clarire Bickett's 18 kills and Lauren Fjerstad four aces.
 
Following 13 consecutive road matches to start the season, Slippery Rock will finally host its 2025 home-opener with a non-conference contest 2 p.m. Saturday against Shippensburg University. 



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