2016 Roster  |  2016 Schedule  |  2015 Statistics

LOCK HAVEN, Pa.- The Slippery Rock University volleyball team was picked to finish fourth in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Northwestern Division this season, as announced in the preseason coaches poll released by the league office Thursday.
 
For the first time this season, the PSAC will be divided into four four-team divisions. Slippery Rock will be in the Northwest Division along with Edinboro, Gannon and Mercyhurst. Every PSAC school will play teams in its division twice as well as single matches against the remaining 14 PSAC schools to make up an 18-match conference schedule. Each division winner along with the next four teams with the best league records, reguardless of division, will qualify for the PSAC Tournament.

Edinboro is the favorite to win the Northwest, receiving 11 of the 16 possible first-place votes. Gannon was picked second with five first-place votes, followed by Mercyhurst and Slippery Rock. Pitt-Johnstown (PSAC Central) and Clarion (PSAC Southwest) are the heavy favorites to win their respective divisions as each collected 14 first-place votes, while West Chester earned 13 first-place votes to top the PSAC Southeast.
 
The longest tenured coach in the PSAC, Laurie Lokash returns for her 33rd season in charge of The Rock program. Lokash begins the season ranked 10th in wins among active NCAA Division II coaches with 601. Accompanying Lokash on the sidelines for a second consecutive season will be assistant coaches Kaylee Smith and Janna Reilly. 

RETURNERS
The Rock will look to improve on last season's uncharacteristically low 10-25 overall record that included a 3-19 mark in PSAC Western Division competition. Lokash returns 12 players from last year's team led by a three-woman senior class of Leah Jones, Jaden Zimmer and Cassidy Schoof.
 
SRU's top outside hitter a season ago, Jones started 28 of 31 matches played, leading The Rock with 326 kills (3.29 per set), 309 digs (3.12 per set), and tied for a team-high 27 aces. Jones registered double-digit kill totals in 16 matches and racked up a team-best 10 double-doubles. Jones was eighth in the conference in kills per set and 10th in total kills.
 
One of SRU's top middle hitters, Zimmer started 33 of 34 matches played a season ago and finished with 70 total blocks, which ranked second on the team, in what was her best collegiate season to date. She also ranked fourth on the team with 164 kills (1.45 per set).
 
Schoof saw time in three matches as a reserve in 2015 and has played in 21 matches over the last three seasons for The Rock.
 
The heart of The Rock's lineup arguably comes from its junior class of Courtney Oberlander, Lamija Alisic, Haley Defibaugh, Hanna Lombardo, Brooke Bostwick and Kristen C. Smith.
 
After transferring from Seton Hill, Oberlander made an immediate impact in her first season at Slippery Rock in 2015. As SRU's libero she led the team in digs with 593, the eighth highest amongst all PSAC athletes.  
 
Alisic made a huge jump from her freshman year in 2014 with an outstanding sophomore campaign in 2015. She played in 30 matches, starting in 27, and was second on the team in kills (236) and tied for the team-lead with 27 aces to go with 216 digs and 19 blocks. She also recorded four double-doubles.
 
The duo of Defibaugh and Lombardo handled The Rock's setting duties last season. Defibaugh played in all 35 matches and was the only Slippery Rock player to appear in all 123 sets in 2015. She led the team, and ranked 10th in the PSAC, in assists (898) and was second on the team in digs (314). Defibaugh also recorded 17 aces and had a team-high 12 double-doubles She enters her junior season ranked 11th in the career assists in the SRU record books. Lombardo appeared in 31 matches with six starts and registered 307 assists as well as 119 digs and 20 aces.
 
On the heels of being named the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year in 2014 at Roanoke College, Bostwick made a smooth transition to The Rock's lineup a season ago, starting 14 of 24 matches and compiling 114 kills and 43 blocks, the third most of any Rock player.
 
One of Slippery Rock's top servers, Smith finished last season tied with Jones and Alisic with 27 aces in addition to making 171 digs over 29 matches.
 
Slippery Rock received significant contributions last year from all three members of its 2015 freshman class of Shayla Ray, Beth Stumpf and Kelsey Boyle.
 
Ray started a team-high 34 matches as a freshman and was one of just three Slippery Rock players to appear in all 35 matches. She led The Rock's defensive net pressure with a team-high 73 total blocks while recording 157 kills (1.31 per set) and serving 13 aces.
 
After a relatively slow start to the year, Stumpf went on to become one of Slippery Rock's most reliable outside hitters, finishing last season with 224 kills (2.73 per set), 210 digs and 21 aces. Her 224 kills were the 13th most by a first-year player at SRU and the most since Kristy Lake had 237 as a freshman in 2011.

Boyle appeared in 26 matches as a true freshman in 2015. She recorded 96 kills, 36 digs and 37 total blocks in her rookie campaign.

NEWCOMERS
Lokash also welcomes six freshman to the team. The freshman class consists of outside hitters Mackenzie Voelker (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania / Baldwin) and Kaley Fucci (Waterford, Pennsylvania / Ft. LeBoeuf), middle hitters Mattie Taggart (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania / North Allegheny) and Rachel Schulz (Fairview, Pennsylvania / Fairview), opposite/middle hitter Shannon Ream (Indiana, Pennsylvania / Indiana) and setter Zoe Rivet (Twinsburg, Ohio / Twinsburg).

THE SCHEDULE
In addition to its PSAC opponents, The Rock's 2016 schedule includes non-conference matches against Lees-McRae, Chowan, Mount Olive, Winston-Salem State, Daemen, Roberts Wesleyan, Assumption, Saint Rose, Fairmont State, Wheeling Jesuit, UVA-Wise, West Liberty and Alderson-Broaddus in 2016.
 
Slippery Rock opens its 2016 season Sept. 2-3 against Lees-McRae, Chowan, Mount Olive and Winston-Salem State at the second annual Spike Out Hunger Challenge hosted by WSSU. Following its opening weekend SRU heads to the Daemen Invitiational (Sept. 9-10) and the Wheeling Jesuit/West Liberty Invitational (Sept. 16-17). Slippery Rock will visit Alderson Broaddus Sept. 20 before hosting its first home, and PSAC, match of the year against Pitt-Johnstown Sept. 23 at Morrow Field House.

2016 PSAC Preseason Coaches Poll
(First place votes in parenthesis)
NORTHWEST
Edinboro (11)
Gannon (5)
Mercyhurst
Slippery Rock
 
CENTRAL
Pitt-Johnstown (14)
Shippensburg (2)
Lock Haven
Millersville
 
SOUTHWEST
Clarion (14)
California (2)
Seton Hill
Indiana (Pa.)
 
SOUTHEAST
West Chester (13)
Kutztown (3)
East Stroudsburg
Cheyney