By Marissa Masano / The Jambar
History was made at Zidian Family Arena in Beeghly Center as the Youngstown State University women’s volleyball team defeated Northern Kentucky University for the first time.
The Penguins hosted the Norse on Oct. 3-4, and split the Horizon League series 1-1. In the opening match, Youngstown State was swept in straight sets, 25-23, 25-20 and 25-20. Junior Gabriela Machin led all players with 14 kills, while freshman Kameron Blizniak recorded a double-double with 23 assists and 10 digs.
In the rematch, the Penguins bounced back and delivered a historic performance. Not only did the team notch its first-ever victory over Northern Kentucky, but senior Abbie Householder turned in a career-best with 31 kills — tied for fourth most in program history in a single match.
Householder’s 31 kills are tied for the ninth most by any Division I player this season. She reached the mark on just 63 attempts, the second fewest by a Penguin in a 30-kill performance since 2001.
Head Coach Riley Jarrett praised Householder’s performance and credited Blizniak for creating opportunities for the senior.
“They just couldn’t stop her. Everything [Householder] was doing they just didn’t make great adjustments for her. They couldn’t slow her down. So, we kept giving her the ball. Our freshman setter, Blizniak, put [Householder] in a lot of great spots,” Jarrett said.
The Penguins were sharp defensively, recording just three receiving errors on 102 attempts.
Jarrett said the team’s fundamentals and communication style contributed to its strong defensive play.
“I thought that some adjustments we made with our passing and new personnel out there really helped our overall communications in the seams. And NKU is a very good serving team, so I’m really proud of how we responded to that,” Jarrett said.
The Norse took the first set of the second match, 25-21. YSU held a two-point lead late, but a 7-1 run from NKU turned the momentum in favor of the visitors. NKU also claimed the second set, 25-20.
Householder sparked the Penguins in the third, as she tallied nine kills on 11 attempts. The teams traded points early, but three late kills from Householder and another from junior Julia Sell set up the set point. A kill by Machin off a Blizniak assist secured the 25-21 win and extended the match.
Youngstown State rallied again in the fourth to win behind two key runs, 25-23. Trailing 20-17, the Penguins stopped a Northern Kentucky surge with a block from sophomore Taya Nordmann. YSU followed with four straight points to close the gap.
Three consecutive kills from Householder gave the Penguins a 23-21 lead, and another kill set up the set point. A final attack from Householder completed the comeback, and sent the match to a decisive fifth set.
In the final set, the Penguins trailed only after the first point. Two NKU attack errors gave YSU the lead, but the Norse fended off two match points to tie at 14. Householder’s 31st kill reclaimed the lead, and Machin followed with the match-winner. YSU completed the reverse sweep and handed NKU its first Horizon League loss of the season.
Jarrett credited the team’s past experiences as key to closing out the match under pressure.
“[We were] just staying calm. We were in those situations before earlier on in the season and it [did not go] our way. So being in those moments really helped our team realize we didn’t want that outcome again. They were confident, and we were really happy to pull out those last two points,” Jarrett said.
With the win, Youngstown State improves to 7-9 overall and 2-3 in Horizon League play. The Penguins will travel to Wright State University for back-to-back matches Oct. 10-11.
