SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Gannon University women's volleyball team kept a few streaks alive on Tuesday night when it rallied in dramatic fashion to win a five-set thriller over Slippery Rock.

Coach Matt Darling's Golden Knights claimed their eighth victory in a row this season while raising their record to 9-2 overall and 1-0 in the PSAC West. In addition, GU has defeated SRU 27 consecutive times since 2008.

The comeback win also represented Gannon's 10th PSAC West regular-season victory in a row over the past two seasons. The Knights closed the 2022 regular season with nine straight conference wins to finish 15-1 in the PSAC West.
 
Final score: Gannon def. Slippery Rock 3-2 (20-25, 21-25, 25-22, 25-15, 15-11)

Where: Morrow Field House, Slippery Rock

Records: Gannon 9-2 overall, 1-0 PSAC West; Slippery Rock 8-5, 0-1
 
What happened:

• Slippery Rock was playing its home opener after 12 road matches to start the season. The team and SRU student section were fired up as SRU took the first two sets.
• Gannon had to be heavily favored coming in since the Golden Knights were on a hot streak and entered with 26 consecutive wins over SRU. However, The Rock came out aggressively and played stellar defense while winning the first two sets.
• Gannon dominated in blocking with 15 total blocks to SRU's 10. Freshman Lauren Atwell (Mars, Pa./Mars Area) had four solo blocks and four block assists for a team-best six total blocks.

Quotable:

"I'm really proud of the team for battling back against a Slippery Rock team that was playing incredible defense and beating us to every point for two sets," Darling said. "The players deserve full marks for turning it up a notch after the break.  

"But it was even more than that because, in addition to raising the level of play, they stepped in and shut me up when my frustration was boiling over. (Senior captain) Madde Blake (Crystal Lake, Ill./Crystal Lake Central) took over the huddle and said exactly what everyone – myself especially –  needed to hear to change what was happening.  She was the winning coach tonight."
 

By the numbers:

• Marta Roicka (Warsaw, Poland/North Central Texas Academy) made her sixth consecutive start at setter, and the redshirt junior finished with a career-high 42 assists. She also had 11 digs, four blocks, and two aces.
• Journey Blevins (Richwood, Ohio/North Union) led Gannon with 17 kills, marking the 11th time in 11 matches that the junior outside hitter has led Gannon in kills.
• Hailey Hoch contributed 13 kills and led Gannon with a .393 hitting percentage. She had some crucial kills down the stretch.
• Ali Sorenson (Tinley Park, Ill./Lincoln Way East) chipped in with nine kills, and Madde Blake (Crystal Lake, Ill./Crystal Lake Central) had eight.
• Five Gannon players finished with double-digit digs, led by Emma Hall's (Lowell, Mich./Lowell) 20. Blake and Lara Toruner (Istanbul, Turkey/Terakki Foundation) each had 16 digs, Roicka had 11, and Blevins added 10.
• This was Gannon's sixth win in a row in five-set matches over the past two seasons. Gannon went 5-0 in five-set matches in 2022 on the way to a 29-6 overall record.
• Slippery Rock has not beaten Gannon in volleyball since Oct. 28, 2008. That was 17th-year coach Matt Darling's second season as GU's head coach.

 
Up next:

Gannon will host archrival Clarion on Saturday at 2 p.m. in a Homecoming Day showdown of PSAC powers at the Highmark Events Center.