Slippery Rock University Athletics

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University volleyball team downed Seton Hill University in five sets (25-21, 25-27, 16-25, 25-22, 15-9) to close out its 2026 season in impressive fashion Saturday at Morrow Field House.
 
After not playing a five-match all season, Slippery Rock (8-18, 2-12 PSAC West) played a pair of five setters in back-to-back nights with SRU's victory over the Griffins (13-11, 6-8) ending the year in impressive fashion and sending The Rock into the offseason with momentum for the future.
 
SRU earned the season-finale victory by hitting 25 points better than its season attack percentage (.152/.127) and limiting SHU to a .120 attack percentage. The Rock set team season-bests in kills (59) and assists (56) while holding advantages over Seton Hill in kills (59-57), attack percentage (.152 / .120) and digs (89-87). Both teams had nine total blocks.
 
Individually, Ava Haynes went for 13 kills, nine digs and three blocks (1 solo / 2 assisted). Hayden Deming and Victoria Nalbach added nine kills and two blocks each. Ali Haynes (8 kills / 2 blocks) nearly met the identical stat lines of Deming and Nalbach.
 
Alayna Esselink played one of the best matches of her collegiate career in the form of eight kills and five blocks. Esselink compiled a near automatic .615 attack percentage.
 
SRU utilized three primary setters in the win. Paityn Krause led the group via a 26-assist, 13-dig, one-ace double-double. Freshmen Emily Loeffler (13) and Bailey Espana (10) also had double-digit assist totals.
 
Libero Kara Pasquale made a season-best 26 digs. She paced three Rock athletes with double-digit dig matches alongside Krause and Ellie Friedrichs (11).
 
After alternating set victories with the Griffins over the first four sets, Slippery Rock captured nine of the opening first 14 points in the fifth set behind two kills apiece from Deming, Ava Haynes and Ali Haynes.
 
While Seton Hill briefly played its way back into the set by cutting The Rock's advantage to one at 10-9, SRU pulled away down the stretch with five consecutive points highlighted by two Ava Haynes kills en route to the 15-9 match-deciding win.
 
Following Saturday's final match of 2026, Slippery Rock held its annual Senior Day celebration, recognizing the contributions of Nalbach, Brooke Farrah, Kaitlyn Danszczak and student manager Rachel Graham.





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