Slippery Rock, Pa. - Led by
Erin Harman's 21, four Marauders recorded double-digit kills, and Millersville rallied from a first set defeat to score a PSAC road win over Slippery Rock Friday, 16-25, 25-15, 25-21, 22-25, 15-11.
Along with Harman, who topped the 20-kill mark for the second time this season and hit .212,
Lindsey Blevins totaled 15 kills, and
Kelsi Ceriani (.294) and
Haley Butler (.212) both had 13. Two of Butler's gave Millersville points 14 and 15 in the fifth set.
Katie Laughman was busy at the setter role, totaling a career-high 57 assists--the most by a Marauder since
Grace Dawson's 58 against Wilmington in 2015.
Harman completed her sixth double-double of the season with 19 digs--the second-highest total of her career. Libero
Kat Forry recorded a career-high 27 digs, and
Sophia Marziello, who had appeared in just five of the team's 10 matches entering Friday, totaled 15 digs.
In their first true road match of the season, the Marauders improved to 9-2 overall and 2-1 in the PSAC play. But it was a fight to the finish as the Marauders not only shook off a sluggish opening set but also stormed back from a 5-1 deficit in the deciding fifth set.Â
Millersville felt the effects of the cross-state travel early, committing 10 hitting errors and two service errors in the opening set. But Harman and crew turned the tides in set two. Harman recorded five kills on 12 swings and Blevins ripped four kills on seven in the second as the Marauders totaled 14 with just three errors. Millersville rolled in the third set as well, cranking out 17 kills (six from Harman) to just three errors. Leading 22-20, Ceriani helped Millersville close out the 25-21 set win with a pair of kills down the stretch.
Slippery Rock's six kills in its final nine points in set four, evening the match at two sets apiece. And in the fifth, The Rock opened a quick 5-1 lead behind three kills an two Millersville errors. A timeout called by Coach
Brian Smith was turned the match, however. Millersville responded with six consecutive points. Ceriani powered home two kills and Marziello, who finished with three aces, added one in the fifth-set run.
Slippery Rock evened the set at 11-11 on an ace, but a service error put Millersville immediately back in front, and on the next rally,
Grace Miller and Harman teamed for a block. Butler then delivered a cross-court kill and clinched the win with a rocket to the back line.
Millersville finishes its schedule against the PSAC Northwest Division Saturday at Edinboro.