GAME PROGRAM INFO
Slippery Rock has moved away from printed game programs for all sports. This page will serve as the "Digital Game Program" for this week's game. To navigate to all gameday info for any SRU home events this year, simply visit rockathletics.com/gameday or scan the QR code on the "Gameday Info" posters hanging in each facility.
 

Slippery Rock vs. Clarion
The Rock (5-5)	Golden Eagles (7-4)
Roster	Roster
Head Coach Dylan Lasher	Head Coach Jennifer Herron
Schedule	Schedule
Statistics	Statistics
Program Records	Program Records
Morrow Field House
PSAC Standings
PSAC Leaders
PSAC Schedule

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University volleyball team begins the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division portion of its 2026 schedule 6 p.m. Wednesday against Clarion at Morrow Field House.
 
WATCH ON YOUR TV - "ROCK ATHLETICS DIGITAL NETWORK" APPS
• Fans can watch Wednesday's match on-demand for free on the Rock Athletics Digital Network, created and operated by the SRU athletic communication office.
 
• Search for Rock Athletics Digital Network in the app stores on Amazon Fire TV, Apple RV, Roku and Android TV devices. The streaming web player linked above will also integrate with Chrome Cast devices to allow viewers to cast the game to those devices.
 
MATCH 11 DETAILS
Opponent: Clarion
Date: Wednesday – 6 p.m.
Location: Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania
Venue: Morrow Field House
Watch: Link
Live Stats: Link
All-Time Series: Clarion leads 59-57
Last Played: Oct. 24 2025 (Clarion won 3-2)
 
SERIES HISTORY
Clarion earned two close five-set decisions over The Rock last season to improve its record over SRU in the all-time series to 59-57. While SRU has not defeated the Golden Eagles since 2011, The Rock and Clarion have played to five sets in three of the last four meetings.
 
Top Rock Performers vs. Clarion
(Per match)
Paityn Krause: 21.0 Assists, 9.0 Digs (3 MP)
Kara Pasquale: 12.7 Digs, 1.0 Aces (3 MP)
Emry Rumbaugh: 9.5 Kills, .351%, 2.0 Blocks (2 MP)
 
SLIPPERY ROCK PRIMER
Roster: Link
Stats: Link
Record: 5-5
Home Record: 2-1
Away Record: 1-1
Neutral Site Record: 2-3
Streak: L1
Last 5 Matches: 2-3
Head Coach: Dylan Lasher | 2nd season at SRU (15-22) | 6th overall (60-83)
 
SRU INVITATIONAL RECAP
Slippery Rock hosted the SRU Invitational last week and won two of its three matches at Morrow Field House with wins over Frostburg State and Roberts Wesleyan mixed in with a loss to Bloomsburg.
 
Sept. 11: vs. Frostburg State (W, 3-0: 25-16, 25-18, 25-20)
Sept. 12: vs. Roberts Wesleyan (W, 3-0: 25-21, 25-23, 25-21)
Sept. 12: vs. Bloomsburg (L, 3-0: 25-21, 25-14, 25-22)
 
ROCK LEADERS
ATTACK: Marley Annis (103 kills / .187), Ava Haynes (70 kills, .156)
ASSISTS: Paityn Krause (168 / 5.25 per set), Abby Kolcum (90 / 4.09 per set)
ACES: Ellie Friedrichs (17), Leah Schreckengost (11)
DIGS: Kara Pasquale (150 / 4.69 per set)
BLOCKS: Victoria Nalbach (15), Emry Rumbaugh (13)
 
ROCK SINGLE-MATCH LEADERS
KILLS: Marley Annis – 18 at Lake Erie
ASSISTS: Paityn Krause – 26 at Lake Erie
ACES: Ellie Friedrichs – 5 at Lake Erie
DIGS: Kara Pasquale – 25 (2x)
BLOCKS: Victoria Nalbach – 5 at Lake Erie
 
ROCK TEAM SINGLE-MATCH LEADERS
KILLS: 56 at Lake Erie
ATTACK %: .286 vs. Post
ASSISTS: 56 at Lake Erie
ACES: 11 at Lake Erie
DIGS: 73 at Lake Erie
BLOCKS: 8 at Lake Erie
 
 HOW THE ROCK STACKS UP (PSAC Team rankings)
• Attack %: 14th (.156)
• Opponent Attack %: 15th (.204)
• Kills Per Set: 12th (11.6)
• Opponent Kills Per Set: 14th (12.3)
• Aces Per Set: 14th (1.6)
• Opponent Aces Per Set: 1st (1.1)
• Digs Per Set: 9th (15.3)
• Blocks Per Set: 13th (1.3)
• Opponent Blocks Per Set: 15th (2.1)
 
SRU AMONG THE PSAC'S BEST (Individual rankings)
Aces Per Set: Ellie Friedrichs – 3rd
Kills Per Set: Marley Annis – 5th
Digs Per Set: Kara Pasquale – 5th
Attack %: Victoria Nalbach – 10th
Assists Per Set: Paityn Krause – 13th
 
GET THE 1ST, GET THE WIN
Slippery Rock has taken the first set in all of five of its victories this season, but have dropped the opener in its five losses.
 
EFFICIENCY IS KEY
SRU has recorded a .232 attack percentage in its five wins this season, but has compiled a hitting percentage of just .075 in its five losses. Conversely, opponents have hit only.118 in The Rock's five wins while boasting a .297 attack percentage in SRU losses.
 
SRU IN PSAC WEST OPENERS
A win against Clarion would give The Rock a win in their PSAC West opener for the third time in the last seven years.
 
CONTINUOUS EARLY SUCCESS
In addition to giving The Rock an early-season conference victory, a Wednesday win over Clarion would mark the fourth consecutive year that SRU has held a winning record through 11 matches.
 
The Rock Through 11 (Since 2023)
2025: 6-5
2024: 6-5
2023: 7-4
 
FIRST TO 100
Junior outside hitter Marley Annis became the first Rock athlete to eclipse 100 kills in 2026 after tallying 25 kills over three matches at the SRU Invitational.
 
Annis, who has started nine matches this year, has already reached a career-high kill total with 103 over just 10 matches this year, on a .187 attack percentage. She has also served six aces and made 86 digs and compiled nine blocks in what's been a great all-around start to the campaign.
 
Annis, who has six double-digit kill performances to her name this season, averages 3.32 kills per set which positions her fifth in the PSAC. She has also tallied a team-high three double-doubles.
 
NALBACH EARNS HONOR
At the conclusion of SRU Invitational, senior middle blocker Victoria Nalbach was named to the SRU Invitational All-Tournament Team. In three matches, Nalbach compiled 21 kills on an impressive .541 attack percentage and one ace offensively alongside four blocks (three solo / one assisted) on defense.
 
A starter in all nine matches she's played in this year, Nalbach enters Wednesday's conference showdown leading SRU in total blocks with 15 (4 solo / 11 assisted) inside along with 39 kills on an efficient .312 attack percentage. She ranks 10th in the PSAC in attack percentage.
 
FRESHMEN SHOWING UP BIG
The rookie of trio of outside hitter Ellie Friedrichs, middle blocker Chloe Shirk and setter Emily Loeffler have continued to settle into collegiate volleyball while making significant impacts in the early stages of the season for The Rock.
 
Friedrichs: Through her first nine career matches, Friedrichs has served a team-high 17 aces. Included in the impressive ace total is seven matches with at least one ace and three matches with four or more aces. She ranks 25th in the nation, and third in the PSAC, in aces per set at 0.65.
 
Shirk: After opening the year as a reserve, Shirk has etched out a starting role for The Rock with six consecutive starts. Since entering the starting lineup, Shirk has registered five multi-block matches which has upped her season total to 11 to go with 19 kills on a .265 attack percentage.
 
Loeffler: The Avon Lake, Ohio native earned ample playing time as The Rock's second setter in its final two matches of the SRU Invitational, finishing with 16 assists against Roberts Wesleyan and 15 versus Bloomsburg.
 
LIBEROS GETTING IT DONE IN DIFFERENT WAYS
The Rock's libero duo of junior Kara Pasquale and sophomore Leah Schreckengost continue to be very important pieces of SRU's success.
 
Pasquale leads The Rock, and ranks fifth in the PSAC, in digs per set at 4.69 (150 total). Schreckengost meanwhile ranks second on SRU in aces with 11, which already nearly doubles her output from a season ago (6).
 
SUPPLEMENTAL OFFENSE
Rounding out The Rock's top attackers behind Annis is the pairing of junior Ava Haynes and sophomore Emry Rumbaugh. Haynes has logged 70 kills (2.19 per set) on a .156 attack percentage. Rumbaugh is close behind at 59 kills (2.03 per set) via a .157 attack percentage. Rumbaugh is also second for SRU in blocks at 13 (2 solo / 11 assisted).
 
RUNNING THE SHOW
Junior setter Paityn Krause is the lone Rock athlete to have started all 10 matches as well as being one of just three athletes on the team to have played all 32 sets so far this year along with Haynes and Pasquale.
 
As SRU's top setter, Krause has distributed 168 assists (5.25 per set). Krause, who ranks 13th in the PSAC in assists per set, has also served seven aces and made 55 digs.
 
Joining Krause as SRU's primary setters this season have been Loeffler (53 / 3.53 per set) and sophomore Abby Kolcum (90 assists / 4.09 per set).
 
MIX & MATCH
Slippery Rock has used eight different starting lineups in its 10 matches this season.
 
FRIEDRICHS IN RARE COMPANY
It has taken Friedrichs just nine appearances in a Slippery Rock uniform to position herself in elite company through recent program history.
 
Friedrichs is one of just 12 freshmen since 2008 to serve four or more aces in a match and one of just five freshmen with multiple matches with at least four aces inside the program.
 
The record for aces by a freshman at The Rock belongs to Stephanie Skiles (52 in 2004).
 
Freshman 4+ Ace Matches at SRU
Since 2008
1. Ellie Friedrichs (2026): 3
t2. Kaylee Smith (2008): 2
t2. Morgan Tyree (2012): 2
t2. Zoe Rivet (2016): 2
t2. Jaeden Yost (2016): 2
t2. Kara Pasquale (2024): 2
 
UPCOMING MILESTONES
• Paityn Krause: 49 assists from 1,000
• Paityn Krause: 15 digs from 400
• Paityn Krause: 7 aces from 50
• Kara Pasquale: 181 digs from 1,000
• Marley Annis: 63 kills from 300
• Marley Annis: 12 digs from 300
• Emry Rumbaugh: 64 kills from 300
• Emry Rumbaugh: 28 blocks from 100
• Ava Haynes: 44 kills from 200
• Ava Haynes: 15 digs from 100
• Ava Haynes: 7 blocks from 50
• Victoria Nalbach: 50 kills from 200
• Victoria Nalbach: 14 blocks from 100
• Gwen McCarthy: 42 kills from 200
• Kaitlyn Danszczak: 31 kills from 200
• Kaitlyn Danszczak: 6 digs from 100
• Kaitlyn Danszczak: 8 blocks from 50
• Abby Kolcum: 8 assists from 100
• Emily Loeffler: 47 assists from 100
• Addison Jones: 7 blocks from 50
 
GETTING GOING AT MORROW FIELD HOSUE
With two wins at last weekend's SRU Invitational, Slippery Rock has already matched its home victory total from the entirety of last year.
 
NEXT FIVE MATCHES
Sept. 22 (6:30 p.m.) at Daemen
Sept. 25 (6 p.m.) vs. IUP
Sept. 26 (Noon) at Pitt-Johnstown
Oct. 2 (6 p.m.) vs. Edinboro
Oct. 3 (1 p.m.) vs. Gannon
 
RECORDS WATCH
Assists (12-16)
12. Sarah Cybulski (2001-02): 1,300
13. Stephanie Kluge (1999-02): 1,171
14. Paityn Krause (Active): 951
15. Alexandra Fleagle (2010-13): 885
16. Michele Shatto (1994-97): 822
 
Digs (17-20)
17. Kaylee Smith (2008-11): 1,284
18. Andrea Hoover (1995-98): 1,194
19. Lindsay Weber (2002-05): 1,169
20. Layna Heilman-Houser (2002-05): 1,163
NR. Kara Pasquale (Active): 819    
 
CLARION PRIMER
Roster: Link
Stats: Link
Record: 7-4
Home Record: 4-0
Away Record: 1-1
Neutral Site Record: 2-3
Streak: L1
Last 5 Matches: 2-3
Head Coach: Jennifer Herron | 20th season at Clarion (428-199)
 
GOLDEN EAGLE LEADERS
ATTACK: Taylor Haupt (112 kills / .154), Raegan Stader (72 kills, .187)
ASSISTS: Natalie Karrick (183 / 4.36 per set), Kylie Barto (107 / 3.45 per set)
ACES: Lauren Fjerstad (22), Haupt (19), Karrick (19)
DIGS: Kalina Powell (187 / 4.45 per set)
BLOCKS: Cara Vandeborne (55), Finley Kearney (45)
 
 HOW CLARION STACKS UP (PSAC Team rankings)
• Attack %: 15th (.151)
• Opponent Attack %: 1st (.095)
• Kills Per Set: 14th (10.8)
• Opponent Kills Per Set: 7th (10.5)
• Aces Per Set: 9th (2.1)
• Opponent Aces Per Set: 3rd (1.2)
• Digs Per Set: 8th (15.5)
• Blocks Per Set: 1st (2.7)
• Opponent Blocks Per Set: 5th (1.7)
 
CLARION AMONG THE PSAC'S BEST (Individual rankings)
Blocks Per Set: Cara Vandeborne – 1st
Blocks Per Set: Finley Kearney – 2nd
Digs Per Set: Kalina Powell – 6th
Blocks Per Set: Emily Klopp – 9th
Aces Per Set: Lauren Fjerstad – 9th
 
RECENT RESULTS
Sept. 12: Wheeling (L, 3-2)
Sept. 12: West Virginia State (W, 3-2)
Sept. 11: West Liberty (W, 3-0)
Sept. 11: Fairmont State (L, 3-1)
Sept. 5: Wayne State (Mich.) (L, 3-2)
 
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN EAGLES
• The strength of the Clarion lineup comes from its impressive size up front in the form of the middle hitter trio of Cara Vandeborne (6 feet 3 inches), Emily Klopp (6 feet 3 inches) and Finley Kearney (6 feet 1 inch).
 
• Through 11 matches, Vandeborne (55), Kearney (45) and Klopp (39) all have at least 39 total blocks. As such, Clarion ranks second in the nation as a team in both blocks per set (2.7) and total blocks (116). Individually, Cara Vandeborne is fourth in Division II in total blocks.
 
• Opponents have combined to record an attack percentage of just .095 against Clarion this season, which ranks sixth in the country.
 
• Offensively, Taylor Haupt is Clarion's primary weapon with 112 kills and 19 aces. Lauren Fjerstad's 22 aces are a team high.
 
UP NEXT
Slippery Rock briefly steps out of PSAC West competition for one of its two final non-conference matches of the regular season 6:30 p.m. Sept. 22 at Daemen University.






To stay up to date with all that happens at The Rock, follow our official Athletic Communication accounts on 'X' (formerly Twitter, @Rock_Athletics), Facebook (RockAthletics) and Instagram (RockAthletics).