SLIPPERY ROCK — Following a fourth-place District 10 Region 3 finish and another disappointing seat at home for the playoffs, the Slippery Rock High volleyball team came to a simple conclusion.

Enough is enough.

“We were tired of being that team that almost gets there,” said junior libero Megan Little.

So, this season, the Rockets set out to change all of that with a young team that had only three seniors on the roster — and only two of them healthy.

“I knew we had the core group coming back,” said Slippery Rock volleyball coach Greg Dugan. “I knew we were going to improve.

“But, you knew they were good, but you didn't know how good they could be,” Dugan added. “It's been fun watching it.”

What Dugan has been watching has caught most in Region 3 by surprise.

While the majority of preseason attention was heaped on defending champion Meadville and a strong Hickory team, few mentioned the Rockets in the same breath.

But with just three region matches remaining — one against second-place Meadville Thursday — Slippery Rock is 10-0 in the league and cruising toward the playoffs.

“Going in everyone is telling me, ‘Boy, Hickory is the team to beat. Meadville is really good,'” Dugan said. “We just kind of sat back and let it happen.”

Slippery Rock has dominated with a team that is solid on offense and defense.

Only two matches have gone five games. The other eight wins have come in 3-0 sweeps.

But it was a tournament at Freeport in mid-September that may have turned the tide of the season.

Slippery Rock kicked off its campaign with its own tournament and Freeport dominated the Rockets.

“We didn't play very well,” said senior outside hitter Stormie Hockenberry.

That was in August. A few weeks later, the Rockets nearly upset the undefeated Yellowjackets, who haven't lost in the regular season since 2006.

“Everyone went all-out the whole time,” said senior setter Marie Takach. “I think playing them so tough, it showed we could play up to their level, that we could beat anybody.”

Since then, Dugan has seen his team play at a higher level.

“We've gotten better and better,” Dugan said. “And they're having fun doing it.”

One of the keys to the resurgence has been the play of Little at libero.

She played mostly junior varsity last season, but slid into that position this year.

In just one season, she broke the school record for career passes, eclipsing that mark Tuesday at home against Mercer.

“I have the right passer,” Dugan said. “I have the right setter and I have the right attackers. The passing has been so good, my setter hardly has to move.”

Little had no idea she was about to break a school record Tuesday.

“It means a lot because I've been working hard to earn this position and to keep it,” she said. “It's something I've always wanted.”

What Slippery Rock wants now is much more than a perfect record and region title.

Even though a playoff spot is secure, Dugan and the Rockets aren't letting up in preparation for the postseason.

“You like being 10-0, but you stress working as hard as you can on every point because it's going to get harder in the playoffs,” Dugan said. “We've been pushing that part.”

Even Dugan has adjusted his coaching style.

“There used to be a lot of screaming and yelling, but I've been just sitting back and letting them do their job,” he said. “They know what to do. It's a group of kids who want to do it on their own and they work hard for it. I do yell once in a while.”