By Dylan Lux / The Jambar
Following back-to-back sweeps in a brand new Beeghly Center for the first time since 2000, emotions were high for the Youngstown State University women’s volleyball team heading into Horizon League play.
A double-header against the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay was first up for the ’Guins in conference play.
Green Bay is coming off a second-place finish in the conference last year, with a 13-5 record in conference play, along with a Horizon League championship game appearance.
As for Youngstown State, they headed into the matchup with a 6-6 record after back-to-back home wins.
The first set of Game One went the way of Green Bay, as the Phoenix gained the lead at 4-3 and never looked back. They took the first set 25-19.
YSU started the next set off with a 15-7 lead and kept a 22-16 lead towards the end of set two. Green Bay then went on a 9-0 run to end the set and took the victory 25-22.
With a 2-0 lead in the first game, Green Bay held an early lead, but YSU closed the gap to make the score 20-19, before the Phoenix pulled away for the final time for a 25-22 victory.
Green Bay completed the sweep in Game One. For the Phoenix, senior Cora Behnke led in kills with 17 over three sets. Green Bay’s front was fortified with eight players, who were 6 foot or taller.
In response to the strong scoring runs by the Phoenix, fifth-year senior Dayan Malave said the team had trouble adjusting to the Phoenix’s game plan.
“We had the lead and it was frustrating at times, [Green Bay] started doing things that were working for them and we couldn’t adjust to that,” Malave said.
In Game Two, the teams were stalemated after two sets. Green Bay took set one, 25-22, and YSU took set two, 25-16.
Set three saw a 16-16 tie midway through, but the Phoenix went on yet another scoring run to regain the match lead and win the set 25-19.
The Penguins had their backs against the wall and had the Phoenix within three in set four. One final scoring run took the score from a 13-10 Green Bay lead to a 25-13 Green Bay win.
The Phoenix won Game Two 3-1 and took down YSU in back-to-back contests.
For Youngstown State, junior Abbie Householder led the second match in kills with 22, earning two aces and two blocks. Fifth-year senior Isabel Schaefbauer led the ’Guins in assists with 39 and blocks with three.
Malave said Head Coach Riley Jarrett is motivational, always letting the team know it can compete with anyone.
“[Jarrett] is always telling us that we can do this, we know that it might be a hard team but we are still a really good team and we can get to that point,” Malave said. “She’s always able to give us feedback on what we can improve on and what we can better to beat those teams.”
Youngstown State traveled to Moon Township, Pennsylvania to take on Robert Morris University on Oct. 1 for its third Horizon League matchup.
For just the third time this season, the Penguins went into an elimination match as they fought back to force a fifth set. The Colonials rallied late with a kill by sophomore Natalie Stepanovich to win the final set 15-12.
Despite the loss, Householder posted a career high in kills with 26.
The Penguins will continue their three-game road stint against Northern Kentucky University at 6 p.m. Oct. 4 and 2 p.m. Oct. 5. Live stats can be found at ysusports.com.
