Slippery Rock University women’s volleyball fell to Indiana University of Pennsylvania in four sets Saturday, dropping to 6-16 overall on the season.
IUP dominated the opening set, scoring the first seven points before the Rock responded with kills from Ellie Friedrichs, Alayna Esselink and Victoria Nalbach. However, the Crimson Hawks continued to pull away, taking the first set 25-8.
SRU showed more fight in the second set, winning six of the first 10 points behind kills from Ali Haynes, Ava Haynes and Esselink. The teams traded points before IUP used a seven-point run to build a 19-13 advantage.
The Rock answered with five consecutive points, including kills from Gwen McCarthy and Kara Pasquale, a service ace and two IUP attack errors. Despite the late push, the Crimson Hawks closed out the set to take a 2-0 lead.
The White and Green responded in the third set, opening with a kill from Ali Haynes and a service ace. After falling behind, the Rock rallied with a six-point run fueled by four IUP errors and kills from Nalbach and Hayden Deming to take a 10-7 lead.
The teams continued trading points before Nalbach recorded a kill and two aces, helping SRU build momentum. With additional contributions from Haynes, the Rock maintained its advantage and pulled ahead 23-20.
An IUP attack error and another Nalbach ace secured a 25-22 victory for SRU, cutting the deficit to 2-1 and extending the match.
IUP regained control in the fourth set, building an early lead despite kills from Nalbach, McCarthy and Ava Haynes. The Rock continued to battle, with kills from Esselink, Haynes and Emily Loeffler helping keep the set competitive.
However, the Crimson Hawks created separation with a late scoring run and closed out the set 25-15, securing a 3-1 match victory.
Despite the loss, Nalbach led the Rock with seven kills and four service aces. Ali Haynes added six kills, while Ava Haynes finished with five.
Paityn Krause led SRU with 17 assists, followed by Loeffler with 13. Defensively, Leah Schreckengost recorded a team-high 11 digs, while Friedrichs added 10.
The Rock will look to rebound Thursday, Oct. 30, when they travel to face Edinboro at 6 p.m.
