SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University volleyball team continues the early stages of its 2026 season with four matches this weekend at the Hampton Inn and Suites Grand Rapids Downtown Classic.
 
DOWNTOWN CLASSIC SCHEDULE
Friday (at GVSU): vs. Cedarville (10 a.m.)
Friday (at GVSU): vs. Post (4 p.m.)
Saturday: at Davenport (Noon)
Saturday (at DU): vs. Saginaw Valley State (2 p.m.)
 
TICKETS
Friday: Link
Saturday: Link
 
FRIDAY LIVE COVERAGE
• Live Stats  |  Provided by Grand Valley State
• Live Streaming Video (Free)  |  Provided by Grand Valley State
• X (formerly Twitter)  |  In-game updates and highlights
 
SATURDAY LIVE COVERAGE
• Live Stats  |  Provided by Davenport
• Live Streaming Video ($)  |  Provided by Davenport
• X (formerly Twitter)  |  In-game updates and highlights
 
$$ FLOSPORTS PAY-PER-VIEW MATCHES SATURDAY $$
Fans must have a FloSports subscription to watch Saturday's matches and can only access the live video on the FloSports website linked above or the FloSports mobile or television apps. There are no single-game purchase options. Fans must subscribe for at least one month to be able to watch the game. Monthly subscriptions to FloSports are $24.99 per month or $119.88 per year. Discounts are available to subscribers with .edu email addresses. 
 
MATCH 4 DETAILS
Opponent: Cedarville University
Date: Friday – 10 a.m.
Location: Allendale, Michigan
Venue: Fieldhouse Arena
Watch: YouTube
Tickets: Link
Live Stats: Link
All-Time Series: SRU leads 1-0
Last Played: Oct. 7, 1977 (SRU won 2-0)
 
SERIES HISTORY
Slippery Rock is 1-0 all-time against Cedarville, but Friday's match will be the first between SRU and CU since a 2-0 Rock victory in 1977.
 
MATCH 5 DETAILS
Opponent: Post University
Date: Friday – 4 p.m.
Location: Allendale, Michigan
Venue: Fieldhouse Arena
Watch: YouTube
Tickets: Link
Live Stats: Link
All-Time Series: First Meeting
Last Played: N/A
 
MATCH 6 DETAILS
Opponent: Davenport University
Date: Saturday – Noon
Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Venue: Davenport Student Center
Watch: FloSports
Tickets: Link
Live Stats: Link
All-Time Series: First Meeting
Last Played: N/A
 
MATCH 7 DETAILS
Opponent: Saginaw Valley State University
Date: Saturday – 2 p.m.
Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Venue: Davenport Student Center
Watch: FloSports
Tickets: Link
Live Stats: Link
All-Time Series: SVSU leads 5-2
Last Played: Sept. 11, 2021 (SVSU won 3-1)
 
SERIES HISTORY
While Saginaw Valley State holds a 5-2 record against Slippery Rock, the two schools have met just once in the last 24 seasons: a 3-1 SVSU victory in 2021 at the Hall of Fame City Challenge in Canton, Ohio.

SLIPPERY ROCK PRIMER
Roster: Link
Stats: Link
Record: 2-1
Home Record: 0-0
Away Record: 1-0
Neutral Site Record: 1-1
Streak: L1
Last 5 Matches: N/A
Head Coach: Dylan Lasher | 2nd season at SRU (12-18) | 6th overall (57-79)
 
ROCK LEADERS
ATTACK: Marley Annis (38 kills / .260), Ava Haynes (26 kills, .219)
ASSISTS: Paityn Krause (53 / 5.30 per set), Abby Kolcum (40 / 4.00 per set)
ACES: Ellie Friedrichs (10), Leah Schreckengost (6)
DIGS: Kara Pasquale (50 / 5.00 per set)
BLOCKS: Victoria Nalbach (8)
 
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 at Lake Erie
BLOCKS: Victoria Nalbach – 5 at Lake Erie
 
STORM VOLLEYBALL CLASSIC RECAP
Slippery Rock opened its 2026 season at last week's Storm Volleyball Classic hosted by Lake Erie College. The Rock won two of their three matches at the tournament, beating Point Park and Lake Erie while losing to Seton Hill.
 
Storm Volleyball Classic Results
Aug. 28: vs. Point Park (W, 3-0: 25-17,25-13,25-16)
Aug. 28: at Lake Erie (W, 3-1: 25-18,27-25,19-25,27-25)
Aug. 29: vs. Seton Hill (L, 3-0: 25-17,25-13,25-16)
 
ANNIS EARNS SPOT ON ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
The Rock's attack last weekend was spearheaded by junior Marley Annis, whose performance landed her a spot on the Storm Volleyball Classic All-Tournament Team. Over three matches, Annis registered 38 kills on a solid .260 attack percentage to go with 25 digs two blocks and one ace.
 
Annis recorded double-digit kill outputs in two of three matches with the highlight being a career-high 18 kills that came alongside 13 digs in a double-double effort at Lake Erie. Annis' 18-kill performance vs. LEC is the third-highest single-match kill effort by a PSAC West athlete so far this season.

STRONG FIRST IMPRESSION
To say the start of Ellie Friedrichs' collegiate career was great would be an understatement. The Eden Prairie, Minnesota native appeared in all three matches and served a team-best 10 aces. Friedrichs posted four aces in her debut versus Point Park to go with five more aces in the Lake Erie win and another against Seton Hill.
 
Friedrichs is one of six freshmen with documented five-ace matches at The Rock, and the first since Kara Pasquale in 2024 (vs. California). Her 16 digs were also third on the team behind only Annis and Pasquale.
 
KRAUSE CLIMBS ASSIST LIST
Junior setter Paityn Krause guided The Rock's offense with 53 assists (5.30 per set) at the Storm Volleyball Classic. She had double-digit assist totals in all three matches, including a season-best 26 at Lake Erie.
 
In the process of the opening weekend, Krause passed Michele Shatto (1994-97) for 15th place on The Rock's career assists ledger as she returned from Painesville, Ohio with 836 career assists. Krause is very likely to continue her climb op The Rock's record book this weekend as she is just 50 assists away from passing Alexandra Fleagle (2010-13) for 14th place.
 
PASQUALE AND NALBACH LEADING THE DEFENSE
Slippery Rock's defensive efforts in the first week of the regular season were spearheaded by libero Kara Pasquale and middle blocker Victoria Nalbach.
 
Over three matches, Pasquale made 50 digs (5.00 per set) and Nalbach compiled eight blocks. While still in the early stages of 2026, Pasquale's 5.00 digs per set ranks 34th in the nation.
 
Only Clarion's Kalina Powell (26) had more digs in a single match among PSAC West athletes than Pasquale's 25 against Lake Erie.
 
SUPPLEMENTING THE ATTACK
Aiding The Rock's attack behind Annis was junior Ava Haynes, who tallied 26 kills by way of a .219 attack percentage. Haynes, who was also one of four Rock athletes to record four blocks over the three-match weekend, was particularly strong against Lake Erie where she gave SRU a career-high 14 kills (seven of which came in the fourth and deciding set).

SOPHOMORE SURGE
After seeing limited time during their freshmen seasons a year ago, the quartet of Abby Kolcum, Alayna Esselink, Hayden Deming and Leah Schreckengost were all heavily counted on at the Storm Volleyball Classic.
 
Kolcum: Split setting duties with Krause, distributing 40 assists (4.00 per set) and serving one ace.
 
Esselink: Started all three matches and finished the weekend third on the team in kills (13) on a .296 attack percentage as well as being tied for second in blocks (4).
 
Deming: Also started all three matches on the way to registering six kills and four blocks.
 
Schreckengost: Joined Friedrichs in being particularly effective serving with six aces, four of which came in the Lake Erie win.
 
Additionally, fellow sophomore Emry Rumbaugh, who closed her rookie season ranked third for The Rock in kills in 2025, also played in all three matches to start 2026 with 12 kills and four blocks.
 
IMPRESSIVE TEAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• Against Lake Erie, The Rock posted a .258 attack percentage behind 11 different athletes tallying at least one kill. SRU's attack percentage was the second-highest for the program under head coach Dylan Lasher, just behind a .259 showing at Edinboro last year.
 
• SRU had 11 aces in the win over Lake Erie, which is tied for the most in a match by a Rock team since a 14-ace outing against Fairmont State on Sept. 21, 2024.
 
GET THE 1ST, GET THE WIN
Slippery Rock won the opening set in its victories over Point Park (25-18) and Lake Erie (25-18), but dropped the opener to Seton Hill in its lone loss last weekend (25-17).
 
NEXT FIVE MATCHES
Sept. 11 (5 p.m.) vs. Frostburg State
Sept. 12 (12:30 p.m.) vs. Roberts Wesleyan
Sept. 12 (5:30 p.m.) vs. Bloomsburg
Sept. 16 (6 p.m.) vs. Clarion
Sept. 22 (6:30 p.m.) at Daemen
 
RECORDS WATCH
Assists (12-16)
12. Sarah Cybulski (2001-02): 1,300
13. Stephanie Kluge (1999-02): 1,171
14. Alexandra Fleagle (2010-13): 885
15. Paityn Krause (Active): 836
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): 719      
 
CEDARVILLE PRIMER
Roster: Link
Stats: Link
Record: 1-2
Home Record: 1-2
Away Record: 0-0
Neutral Site Record: 0-0
Streak: L2
Last 5 Matches: N/A
Head Coach: Greg Smith | 9th season at CU (116-95) | 24th overall (299-350)
 
RECENT RESULTS
Aug. 29: vs. No. 1 Concordia-St. Paul (L, 3-0)
Aug. 28: vs. Gannon (L, 3-2)
Aug. 28: vs. No. 24 Missouri-St. Louis (W, 3-2)
 
YELLOW JACKET LEADERS
ATTACK: Madelyn Hensley (39 kills / .273), Allie Pilat (38 kills / .198)
ASSISTS: Sidney Shepherd (100 / 7.69 per set)
ACES: Avery MacMeccan (4)
DIGS: Alivia Rutt (41 / 3.15 per set)
BLOCKS: Alicia Howard (16), Shepherd (15)
 
POST PRIMER
Roster: Link
Stats: Link
Record: 1-3
Home Record: 0-0
Away Record: 0-0
Neutral Site Record: 1-3
Streak: L1
Last 5 Matches: N/A
Head Coach: Tiffany Verni | 5th season at Post (65-64)
 
RECENT RESULTS
Aug. 29: vs. Tampa (L, 3-0)
Aug. 29: vs. Molloy (W, 3-1)
Aug. 28: vs. American International (L, 3-0)
Aug. 28: vs. Queens (L, 3-2)
 
EAGLE LEADERS
ATTACK: Kelsea Moore (31 kills / .176), Lilly Chavez (29 kills / .135)
ASSISTS: Kata Kovacs (92 / 6.13 per set)
ACES: Kovacs (11), Moore (6)
DIGS: Miley Avenell (46 / 3.07 per set)
BLOCKS: Duru Karagoz (5), Alani Duncan (5)
 
DAVENPORT PRIMER
Roster: Link
Stats: Link
Record: 2-1
Home Record: 0-0
Away Record: 1-0
Neutral Site Record: 1-1
Streak: W2
Last 5 Matches: N/A
Head Coach: Charley Andrews | 3rd season at DU (25-35)
 
RECENT RESULTS
Aug. 29: vs. California (W, 3-1)
Aug. 28: at Findlay (W, 3-1)
Aug. 28: vs. Ashland (L, 3-1)
 
PANTHER LEADERS
ATTACK: Abby Alan (46 kills / .306), Karley Pretzer (31 kills / .191)
ASSISTS: Keira Dommer (73 / 6.08 per set), Madison Berry (64 / 5.33 per set)
ACES: Alan (6)
DIGS: Hayley Carr (53 / 4.42 per set)
BLOCKS: Mariya Montgomery (11), Amelia Werner (7)
 
SAGINAW VALLEY PRIMER
Roster: Link
Stats: Link
Record: 2-2
Home Record: 0-0
Away Record: 0-1
Neutral Site Record: 2-1
Streak: L2
Last 5 Matches: N/A
Head Coach: Lana Rybkowski | 3rd season at SVSU (16-43)
 
RECENT RESULTS
Aug. 29: at Indianapolis (L, 3-0)
Aug. 29: vs. Walsh (L, 3-2)
Aug. 28: vs. Thomas More (W, 3-0)
Aug. 28: vs. West Liberty (W, 3-0)
 
CARDINALS LEADERS
ATTACK: Jackie Scheiber (39 kills / .250), Rachel Townsend (34 kills / .188)
ASSISTS: Taylor Smith (119 / 8.50 per set)
ACES: Smith (10)
DIGS: Kendall White (51 / 3.92 per set)
BLOCKS: Marissa Roe (21)
 
UP NEXT
Slippery Rock returns home to host the inaugural SRU Invitational Sept. 11-12 at Morrow Field House. As part of the SRU Invitational, The Rock will host Frostburg State (Sept. 11 / 5 p.m.), Roberts Wesleyan (Sept. 12 / 12:30 p.m.) and Bloomsburg (Sept. 12 / 5:30 p.m.).




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