By Kathryn Rogers-Vadala
The Youngstown State University volleyball team returned to Beeghly Center following a three-match homestand, battling the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Oct. 21 and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Oct. 22.
First at Wisconsin-Green Bay, Youngstown State dropped the match in three straight sets. It was looking for a victorious rematch after falling in four sets to the Phoenix earlier in the season.
Youngstown State struggled on the defensive end as Wisconsin-Green Bay outscored the Penguins 12 blocks to four. Sophomore Julia Sell led the charge, contributing three of Youngstown State’s four blocks.
Offensively, sophomore Paula Gursching earned a team-high 18 kills, while senior Josi Borum and freshman Abbie Householder each contributed five kills. The Penguins posted 26 attack errors compared to the Phoenix’s nine, despite spiking only four less kills.
Additional contributors to the match included sophomore Isabel Shaefbauer who assisted 19 of the team’s 34 kills, while senior Isidora Sisic led the defense with 11 digs.
The following day, Youngstown State would turn things around as it defeated Wisconsin-Milwaukee three sets to one, Oct. 22.
The Penguins dominated from the service line, earning eight more aces than the Panthers. Sisic posted four, while Householder and freshman Cameron George each listed two.
Borum remains untouched leading Division I in triple-doubles going into the final weeks of the 2022 season. Borum was one dig shy from her ninth for the season as she recorded 25 assists, nine digs, and 14 kills for a .482 attack percentage.
Gursching added a double-double to the victory with a team-high 22 kills and 10 digs, while Householder noted nine kills and a team-high 14 digs.
The Penguins now hold a record of 10-13 overall and 4-8 in Horizon League play, heading into a tough four-match road trip. The team’s stamina will be tested as it plays three of these matches all within the next five days.
The Youngstown State volleyball team will first head to Indiana, competing against Purdue University Fort Wayne Oct. 28, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis on Oct. 29 and finishing up closer to home versus Cleveland State University on Nov. 1.
