SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. — Clarion (10-11, 4-4 PSAC) edged out Slippery Rock (9-12, 2-6 PSAC) in a tense five-set match at Morrow Field House on Friday evening, winning 3-2 (17-25, 25-17, 25-19, 14-25, 17-15). The Golden Eagles earned a crucial win in the conference standings, evening their record at 4-4 in PSAC West play.
In the decisive fifth set, Clarion mounted a strong comeback after an early 7-2 deficit.
Raegan Stader and
Finley Kearney contributed crucial kills, with the latter pulling the Golden Eagles to within 11-10. Kearney eventually leveled the score at 11-11 with a solo block of Kaitlyn Danszczak.
Lauren Fjerstad added a service ace to make it 13-12, and
Claire Bickett staved off match point with a kill to even things up at 14.
The set remained tightly contested, with Clarion and The Rock exchanging leads.
Addy Turek and
Natalie Karrick combined to block Lauren VonderHaar to put the Golden Eagles up 15-14, but the Rock responded with a block of their own to tie things up again. Bickett rolled a shot off a back row defender to put Clarion up 16-15, and
Karlee Berchtold ripped one on match point to give her team the win.
Bickett led the team's offensive efforts with 20 kills, while Kearney contributed significantly with 10 kills, four total blocks and a .353 attack percentage.
Kylie Barto facilitated the offense by recording 23 assists while Karrick added 20 to go with her 14 digs and eight kills.
The first set opened with The Rock securing an early advantage, highlighted by a kill and a service ace from Callie Chevalier, pushing the score to 3-0. Clarion responded with effective plays from Karrick and Bickett, narrowing the gap to 4-2.
Despite the early setback, Clarion mounted a mid-set push, aided by a service ace from Fjerstad and a block by
Julia Rodriguez and Berchtold, trimming the deficit to 10-7. Bickett and Berchtold contributed with key kills, but The Rock maintained control with strong performances from Lauren VonderHaar and Ava Haynes, extending the lead to 18-13.
In the closing stages, Clarion attempted to rally with kills from Bickett and Berchtold, but The Rock closed out the set with a 25-17 victory, capitalizing on errors and decisive blocks.
In the second set, Clarion established momentum early with a quick response to The Rock's initial point. Key contributions came from Bickett, who delivered multiple kills, and Karrick, who added a service ace, helping to build a 7-4 lead.
Clarion continued to capitalize on The Rock's errors, maintaining their lead despite some back-and-forth exchanges. A series of kills by Bickett and Berchtold extended Clarion's advantage to 17-12. In the closing stages, Clarion maintained control, with Kearney securing decisive points, leading to a 25-17 set win.
Clarion took control early in the third set, capitalizing on The Rock's errors to build a 3-0 lead. Whitlinger and Barto contributed key kills during this stretch. Despite a few service errors, Clarion maintained their momentum with points from Turek and Kearney, extending their lead to 7-3.
The Rock attempted a comeback, narrowing the gap to 7-6 after a series of returns, but Clarion responded with a decisive 6-1 run. Fjerstad and Whitlinger were instrumental in this push, adding crucial kills and blocks. Clarion's effective blocking and timely kills from Karrick further widened the lead to 19-12, staving off The Rock's sporadic gains.
As the set concluded, Clarion secured the win with consistent offense, highlighted by Karrick's back-to-back kills to close the set at 25-19.
In the fourth set, Clarion initially matched The Rock point for point, with Kearney and Bickett delivering crucial kills to keep the score tied at 4-4. However, The Rock secured a series of points, stretching the lead to 10-7 following kills and a service ace. Clarion responded with blocks from Berchtold and Turek, bringing the score to 14-10.
Despite efforts from Kearney and Bickett, who contributed with timely kills, Clarion faced difficulties as The Rock capitalized on attack errors to extend their advantage to 21-13. Although Bickett added another kill to the tally, The Rock maintained momentum and closed out the set 25-14, securing the set victory.
