SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. (Nov. 4) – Despite the fifth kill/dig double-double of the year by freshman Oliwia Suboczewska (Wroclaw, Poland/SMW Wroclaw), the Vulcans suffered a 3-1 loss (25-18, 24-26, 25-19, 25-16) at Slippery Rock on Friday night in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West action.

With the loss, the California University of Pennsylvania volleyball team finished the season with a 12-13 overall record and a 6-10 mark in league play. The Vulcans were dealt their first loss in the series with The Rock since 2006, a stretch that spanned 28 matches. Meanwhile, Slippery Rock improves to 13-16 this season behind a 7-8 record in PSAC West action.

Senior Kaylin Burkey (Boardman, Ohio/Boardman) led the team with 16 kills on a .279 hitting percentage. Suboczewska posted 13 kills while hitting at a .207 clip and fellow freshman Elisa Rugiero (Vicenza, Italy/Farina Vicenza) added 12 kills in the match. Freshmen Adrianna Favata (Peoria, Ariz./Liberty) and Ashley Barnes (Crofton, Md./Arundel) guided the offense with 27 and 20 assists, respectively, in the loss on Friday night.

Senior Kelly Lynch (Broadview Heights, Ohio/Holy Name) anchored the defensive effort with 22 digs, her third match with at least 20 digs this year. Suboczewska finished with 11 digs at Slippery Rock, while Burkey and Favata both collected eight digs. Senior Chelsea Howard (Atlanta, Ga./North Atlanta) controlled the net with four blocks and Rugiero posted three blocks in the losing effort.

The Vulcans committed eight attacking errors in the opening set before falling by a 25-18 margin. Slippery Rock opened the set with a 4-1 lead and later won four-consecutive points to take a 12-5 advantage. The Vulcans responded with a 7-2 run to trim the deficit to 14-12 before the teams traded rallies of three-straight points with Cal trailing by a 17-15 margin. The Rock closed the set with an 8-3 rally, winning four of the last five points, in the victory.

Cal tied the match with a 26-24 victory in the second set after recording a .359 hitting percentage. The Vulcans raced out to a 5-1 lead behind four-straight kills before The Rock countered with seven-consecutive points to take an 8-5 lead.  Cal cut the deficit to 9-8 and later won four of six points to trail by a 16-15 margin. The Rock eventually won back-to-back points twice to hold a 22-19 lead before the Vulcans won four-consecutive points to take a 23-22 lead on a kill by Rugiero. Slippery Rock then claimed two-straight points to force set point before Burkey recorded three-consecutive kills to clinch the set victory.

The Vulcans struggled with 10 attacking errors in the third set, as The Rock posted a 25-19 win. Cal took an early 5-1 lead on a kill by Burkey and stretched the advantage to 9-3 before Slippery Rock won five-straight points to cut the deficit to 9-8. The Rock later mounted a 7-2 run to claim a 16-14 lead before winning three-consecutive points to stretch the lead to 20-16 and forced a timeout. Slippery Rock later closed the set on a 5-2 rally, 25-19.

Cal was unable to overcome a run of seven-unanswered points midway in the fourth set on Friday, 25-16. The Rock held a 5-2 lead in the early portion of the set before the Vulcans later won back-to-back points to trim the deficit to 11-9. Slippery Rock then stretched the lead to a sizeable 18-9 margin before Cal won three of the next four points, 19-12. The teams traded the next four points before The Rock clinched the match victory by earning four of the final six points, 25-19.