Slippery Rock University Athletics

CALIFORNIA, Pa. -  The Slippery Rock University volleyball team ended its weekend with a four-set (25-11, 25-16, 25-27, 25-20) loss to Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division foe California (Pa.) on the road Saturday.
 
Slippery Rock exits the weekend with a 5-13 overall record and an 0-7 mark in PSAC West matches. The host Vulcans improves to 8-13 overall and 2-5 in league matches.
 
Ali Haynes led The Rock's efforts Saturday. In what was her first career start, the freshman recorded a team-high 14 kills on a .324 attack percentage to go with one block and a pair of digs.
 
Behind Haynes with nine kills apiece was the duo of Kaitlyn Danszczak and Hayden Deming, who also carried a .467 attack percentage and made two blocks.
 
Gwen McCarthy (5), Victoria Nalbach (5) and Ava Haynes (4) rounded out The Rock's attack leaders. Nalbach also posted a Rock-best three blocks and one ace.
 
One of four freshmen in the starting lineup Saturday along with Ali Haynes, Ryan Cameron and Chloe Shirk, setter Emily Loeffler distributed a season-high 28 assists.
 
Another Rock rookie, Ellie Friedrichs made a team-best 11 digs. Kara Pasquale also finished with a double-digit dig total (10).
 
The Vulcans finished the night holding advantages over Slippery Rock in kills (65-20), attack percentage (.311 / .149), aces (2-1), digs (74-56) and total blocks (7-5).
 
After losing the opening two sets (25-11, 25-16), Slippery Rock battled its way to a 27-25 victory in the third set to avoid the sweep with a strong late rally. Trailing 25-24, The Rock claimed the final three points in the set by way of a McCarthy kill, Nalbach's ace and a Vulcan attack error.
 
Ali Haynes made six kills in the third set.
 
However, Slippery Rock was unable to continue its comeback as the Vulcans erased a three-point deficit midway through the fourth set and with the contest tied at 16-16 California took nine of the final 13 points of the night for the match-deciding 25-20 win.
 
Olivia Weiseman led California with 23 kills.
 
Slippery Rock steps outside the PSAC West portion of its schedule for a final time in 2026 when it hosts D'Youville University 6 p.m. Oct. 13 at Morrow Field House.




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