SLIPPERY ROCK — Opponents often overlook Heather Urbaniak.

The junior outside hitter on the Slippery Rock High volleyball team isn’t very tall. She doesn’t look the part of a menacing force at the net.

Yet Urbaniak — all 5-foot-5 of her — leads the Rockets in kills this season.

“It gives me a lot of motivation,” Urbaniak said. “They don’t expect me to be able to do that.”

In a way, Urbaniak is a microcosm of the Rockets’ volleyball team.

Last year, Slippery Rock was often overlooked, but the Rockets rolled to a 14-0 record before suffering back-to-back losses in the District 10 playoffs.

This year, Slippery Rock is off to another fast start at 9-0 in the region.

The only difference is the word is out on the Rockets: they are a team to be reckoned with.

“I like having that target on our back,” Urbaniak said. “It makes us play harder.”

“It’s definitely a lot of pressure, but it’s kind of fun playing that way,” added senior libero Megan Little. “We know we can do it now. Before we didn’t know. It’s fun.”

Slippery Rock volleyball coach Greg Dugan set out to challenge his burgeoning team with a gauntlet of tough non-league opponents.

The Rockets played such powerhouse volleyball teams as Fort LeBoeuf — the Rockets’ ouster in the playoffs last season — Clarion, Corry, Richland and Knoch.

It has paid off. Slippery Rock beat Clarion, ranked No. 1 in the state in Class A and Knoch and held its own in losses to Fort LeBoeuf, Corry and Richland.

“We’ve played in the toughest tournaments we could this year,” Dugan said. “Even beating Clarion, I don’t think anyone gave us a chance to beat them. We played excellent against them and if we play up to that level, we’re going to be in good shape when it comes to the District 10 playoffs.”

The Rockets are running roughshod over their region foes. The team hasn’t lost a game in nine sweeps of league opponents so far this season.

They are doing it with balance and teamwork on the court.

“It feels great knowing we are an all-around good team,” said senior middle hitter Laura Hilliard. “We don’t have just one dominant person. We’re a great team.”

And they are a close team.

“All of us are like family. I love them,” said junior outside hitter Carly Shearer. “They are all like my sisters, really.”

Most of them have played together since the seventh grade.

And they all share a common goal: becoming the first volleyball team at Slippery Rock to win a District 10 championship.

“I think we are a lot more driven this year to make it to states,” Hilliard said. “If we work hard enough, I think we can. I think we can do just about anything.”

“We’ve been good,” Shearer added. “Last year we were undefeated, but we didn’t get there. We know who we are going to play and what we have to do to beat them. We really want it. I really want it.”