Rock lands seventh in PSAC West preseason poll

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LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University volleyball team was slotted seventh in the 2025 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division preseason coaches’ poll, the conference office announced Thursday.
 
Reigning Atlantic Region champions Gannon garnered four first-place votes and was projected to win the PSAC West while defending PSAC Tournament victors Indiana (Pa.) captured three first-place votes in second place. The remainder of the Western Division poll saw Clarion claim third followed by Seton Hill, Pitt-Johnstown, Edinboro, The Rock and California (Pa.).
 
Shepherd was situated first in the PSAC East with four first-place votes while East Stroudsburg and Shippensburg tallied two first-place nods apiece in second and third place, respectively. The remainder of the Eastern Division prognostication saw Bloomsburg in fourth followed by Millersville, West Chester, Lock Haven and Kutztown.

Slippery Rock has been on the brink of achieving its first winning record since 2014 in each of the last three seasons after finishing 12-14 in 2024, 14-15 in 2023 and 14-16 in 2022.

 

While SRU will be tasked with replacing three-time All-PSAC West outside hitter Erica Selfridge and the program’s career digs leader Kate Lachendro-Biery as well as key contributors Chelsie Wheeler and Aslyn Pry there is still plenty of reason to be optimistic as The Rock brings back 10 athletes that appeared in at least 14 matches a year ago to go with a promising incoming recruiting class.

A CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP

First-year head coach Dylan Lasher was chosen as the next leader of the Slippery Rock volleyball program on March 28, 2025. Lasher is the 13th head coach in SRU varsity volleyball history.

 

Lasher comes to Slippery Rock after most recently serving as the head coach of both the women’s and men’s volleyball teams at Thiel College. He has also been a head coach at both Chatham and Millikin. Overall, he has 10 seasons of collegiate head coach experience (women’s + men’s).

 

Lasher’s coaching resume includes being named the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Coach of the Year on two occasions – in 2017 as the women’s coach at Chatham and in 2025 as the men’s coach at Thiel. 

 

The Ford City, Pennsylvania native served five seasons as the head men’s volleyball coach at Thiel and added the role of head women’s coach prior to the 2024 fall season. He inherited a women’s program that went 3-22 in 2023 and immediately made it a contender in his first full season with the squad by guiding the Tomcats to a 17-9 record in 2024.

 

The 14-win improvement from 2023 to 2024 was the second-best year-to-year improvement among all 419 NCAA Division III women’s volleyball programs that fall.

 

Lasher rounded out his coaching staff over the summer with the addition of assistant Raquel McDonald. A familiar face to Lasher, McDonald comes to The Rock after spending two successful seasons at Thiel where she assisted in all facets of the men’s and women’s volleyball programs.

RETURNING  SENIORS

The Rock’s 2025 senior class features three all-conference caliber athletes in middle blocker Lauren VonderHaar, outside hitter Callie Chevalier and setter Jaeden Yost. Veterans of a combined 227 collegiate matches, all three have been mainstays in SRU’s lineup since stepping foot on campus in 2022.

 

VonderHaar has firmly established herself as one of the top middle blockers in the Atlantic Region over the last two years. One of three athletes to start all 26 matches a season ago, VonderHaar recorded 122 blocks (41 solo / 81 assisted) defensively in addition to 111 kills via a .221 attack percentage on offense. She closed 2024 ranked 22nd in the nation, and fourth in the PSAC, in blocks per sets (1.26).

 

Yost has served as Slippery Rock’s lead setter in each of the last three seasons. Along with VonderHaar and the now-graduated Selfridge, Yost was one of three Rock athletes to start every match a season ago. In addition to delivering 550 assists (5.67 per set), Yost also compiled a team-high 40 aces and ranked third in digs with 218 (2.25 per set).

 

Chevalier has displayed the ability to take over a match on any given night as evidenced by her 28 career double-digit kill performances. Last season, Chevalier went for 210 kills in 22 matches (79 sets) on a .177 attack percentage to go with 42 blocks.

 

The trio are all ranked among the program’s all-time best in a vareity of statistical categories. Yost opens her senior year slotted ninth in program history in career assists (1,705) and 17th in aces (113) while VonderHaar is 10th in total blocks (258) and Chevalier being positioned 25th in kills (645).

 

Rounding out The Rock’s senior class is libero / defensive specialist Arielle Walter who has played in 15 matches through the first three years of her career.

RETURNING  JUNIORS

After seeing limited playing time as rookies in 2023 the junior trio of opposite / outside Hitter Kaitlyn Danszczak, defensive specialist / setter Brooke Farrah and middle blocker / opposite Victoria Nalbach all saw a serious uptick in playing time a season ago.

 

Danszczak started 14 matches while making 22 appearances en route to finishing the season with 104 kills and 24 blocks. Nalbach added 20 blocks in 18 matches and Farrah split time as The Rock’s second setter with 159 assists and nine aces in 19 contests.

RETURNING SOPHOMORES

Six of The Rock’s eight-athlete freshmen class from 2024 will return for their sophomore seasons.

 

Outside Hitter / defensive specialist / libero Marley Annis, libero Kara Pasquale, setter Paityn Krause and defensive specialist / outside hitter Gwen McCarthy all saw playing time as rookies.

 

As a freshman, Pasquale appeared in 24 of The Rock’s 26 matches while leading all Rock rookies in sets played (89). She concluded the year ranked third on the team overall in aces (26) and fourth in digs (169 / 1.90).

 

Krause split time as Slippery Rock’s second setter during her rookie campaign on the way to recording 234 assists (3.97), 115 digs (1.95) and 11 aces across 20 matches.

 

As outsides a season ago, opportunities were sparce for Annis and McCarthy behind the veteran quartet of Selfridge, Wheeler, Chevalier and Danszczak. The pair combined to provide SRU with 60 kills, seven aces and 10 blocks with McCarthy making 15 appearances and Annis 14.

 

After not appearing in a match as rookies, outside hitter Ava Haynes and middle blocker Addison Jones will compete for expanded roles in their second year with the program.

WELCOME TO THE ROCK

The Rock’s 2025 freshman class is made up of nine athletes covering the entire court. The new enrollees come from three states in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan.

 

2025 SRU Freshman Class

Name-Position-Hometown (in Pennsylvania unless noted)

Hayden Deming – Outside Hitter / Opposite – Mattawan, Michigan

Ash Deniker – Middle Blocker – Greensburg 

Alayna Esselink – Middle Blocker – Richmond, Michigan

Abby Kolcum – Setter – Chardon, Ohio         

Emry Rumbaugh – Outside Hitter / Opposite – Kittanning

Leah Schreckengost – Libero / Defensive Specialist – Freeport

Cassidy Stancombe – Libero / Defensive Specialist – Johnstown     

Sidney Stevenson – Libero – Pittsburgh

Addie Varnish – Setter – Carnegie

THE SCHEDULE

In addition to the always-competitive PSAC West round-robin gauntlet, Slippery Rock will play 13 non-conference matches as part of its 27-match schedule in 2025.

 

Of its 20 unique opponents, nine closed last season in possession of a winning record with four earning NCAA Tournament bids.

 

From top to bottom the PSAC West is one of the strongest divisions in the nation. A true “no nights off” league, six of the eight Western Division programs had winning records a year ago with Slippery Rock nearly being the seventh after finishing just two matches under .500.

 

The bulk of Slippery Rock’s non-conference slate occurs at the start of the year. The Rock officially open the 2025 season with four matches at the Fairmont State Classic (Sept. 5-6) against Elizabeth City State, UVa.-Wise, Palm Beach Atlantic and host Fairmont State.

 

SRU then moves on to the Hall of Fame City Challenge (Sept. 12-13) where it will face host Malone, Bluefield State, Illinois Springfield and Bloomsburg. The final four-match weekend of the season comes at the D’Youville Tournament (Sept. 19-20) with tilts against Assumption, host D’Youville, Frostburg State and Kutztown on deck.

 

The Rock’s final non-conference match of the regular season will serve as SRU’s home-opener when Shippensburg visits Morrow Field House 2 p.m. Sept. 27.

 

Slippery Rock’s PSAC West schedule features home-and-home matches with its seven division foes beginning Sept. 24 at Clarion and running until its Nov. 15 regular-season finale at Edinboro.

 

If Slippery Rock finishes in the top four of PSAC West standings at the conclusion of the season, The Rock will see their season continue into the PSAC Tournament for the first time since 2008.

 

2025 PSAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll

First-place votes in parentheses

 

West Division

1) Gannon (4)

2) IUP (3)

3) Clarion

4) Seton Hill (1)

5) Pitt-Johnstown

6) Edinboro

7) THE ROCK

8) California

 

East Division

1) Shepherd (4)

2) East Stroudsburg (2)

3) Shippensburg (2)

4) Bloomsburg

5) Millersville

6) West Chester

7) Lock Haven

8) Kutztown

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