ERIE, Pa. – The fantastic finishes continue for the Gannon volleyball team, but head coach Matt Darling wouldn't mind seeing a little less drama in his team's victories.

For the fourth time in the PSAC West season, the Golden Knights lost the first two sets in a match and then rallied to win in five sets as they topped Daemen on Wednesday in a non-conference match.

Now, Gannon welcomes Slippery Rock to the Highmark Events Center on Friday night to start the second half of the PSAC West season.  It's the same Rock team that won the first two sets against the Knights on Sept. 19 in Slippery Rock, only to see Gannon rally for a 3-2 win.

The matchup against SRU will be the final contest in Gannon's six-match homestand. GU has won the first five matches of the home stretch as part of their current seven-match winning streak. Gannon has not lost since falling to fellow PSAC powerhouse Clarion 3-1 on Sept. 23.

On Saturday, the Golden Knights will go on the road to face the archrival Clarion Golden Eagles. Gannon lost to Clarion in the team's first matchup of 2022 before GU beat Clarion in the regular-season finale, the PSAC Tournament championship match, and the Atlantic Regional title match.
 

GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (16-3 OVERALL, 7-1 PSAC WEST) VS. SLIPPERY ROCK THE ROCK (11-11 OVERALL, 3-6 PSAC WEST)
WHEN: Friday, 7 p.m.
WHERE: Highmark Events Center | Erie, Pa.
LIVE STATS   LIVE VIDEO
 

GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (16-3 OVERALL, 7-1 PSAC WEST) AT CLARION GOLDEN EAGLES (19-2 OVERALL, 9-0 PSAC WEST)
WHEN: Saturday, 1 p.m.
WHERE: Waldo S. Tippin Gymnasium | Clarion, Pa.
LIVE STATS   LIVE VIDEO
 

ALL-TIME SERIES

Gannon leads the series with Slippery Rock 43-10. The Golden Knights have beaten the Rock 27 times in a row since 2009. On Sept. 19, Gannon rallied to win 3-2 (20-25, 21-25, 25-22, 25-15, 15-11)

Clarion leads the series with Gannon 40-35. The teams met at the Highmark Events Center on Sept. 23, and the Golden Eagles won 3-1 (25-18, 25-22, 32-34, 25-19). 


HEAD COACHES

Matt Darling, Gannon: He has a 395-141 record in 17 seasons as the Gannon women's volleyball coach. He has led the Golden Knights to 13 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, and the team has advanced to the D-II Elite Eight in four of the past five NCAA Tournaments, including two Final Four berths.

Laurie Lokash, Slippery Rock: The veteran head coach is in her 40th season. Her 673 victories rank first in PSAC history and 21st in the history of NCAA Division II. She has a 673-637 career record.
 
Jennifer Herron, Clarion: She has a 384-162 record in 17 seasons. Herron is a three-time PSAC Coach of the Year and two-time Atlantic Region Coach of the Year. She has led the team to two PSAC titles and 11 appearances in the NCAA Tournament.
 

RECENT TO PERFORMERS:

Gannon:

Journey Blevins (Richwood, Ohio/North Union): The junior outside hitter had 18 kills in Gannon's comeback win over Daemen on Wednesday. She has recorded a team-high 315 kills.

Hailey Koch (Littleton, Col./Dakota Ridge): The junior right side had 11 kills and three total blocks in the victory over Daemen. She is second on the team with 170 kills and 55 blocks.

Madde Blake (Crystal Lake, Ill./Crystal Lake Central): The senior outside hitter had nine kills and 12 digs on Wednesday. She ranks third on the team in both kills (153) and digs (141).

Marta Roicka (Warsaw, Poland/North Central Texas Academy): The redshirt junior setter compiled 40 assists against Daemen and paces Gannon with 460 assists on the season.

Emma Hall (Lowell, Mich./Lowell): The junior libero racked up 19 digs and has a team-best 330 on the season.

 
Slippery Rock:

Erica Selfridge: The junior outside hitter has a team-leading total of 229 kills and ranks second with 309 digs.

Callie Chevalier: The sophomore outside hitter/opposite ranks second on the team with 202 kills.

Jaeden Yost: The sophomore setter leads The Rock with 422 assists. She also has 141 digs.

Kate Lachendro: The senior defensive specialist ranks has racked up a team-leading 357 digs.


Lauren VonderHaar: The sophomore middle hitter has a team-best 88 blocks. 
 

Clarion:

Cassidy Snider: The 6-foot outside hitter has been outstanding, leading Clarion by a wide margin with 366 kills. She had 22 kills in Clarion's earlier win over Gannon.

London Fuller: The 5-foot-10 redshirt senior has a remarkable 849 assists. She is the reigning PSAC West and Atlantic Region Player of the Year. She piled up 49 assists in Clarion's victory over GU on Sept. 23.

Julia Piccolino: The outside hitter is tied for second on the team with 173 kills and is third with 183 digs. She had 14 kills in the first Gannon matchup.

Abigail Selfridge: The redshirt senior defensive specialist has 305 digs this season and has moved over the 1,500 mark in her career.