By Kaylie Moore / The Jambar
In four games to defend its home court, the Youngstown State University volleyball team hosted Cleveland State University on Nov. 6-7, and Purdue University Fort Wayne on Nov. 13-14, at Zidian Family Arena in Beeghly Center.
The Penguins opened their first match against the Vikings with high energy, maintaining control through all three sets with scores of 25-12, 25-18 and 25-19.
The team’s offense was led by senior Abbie Householder, who finished the night with 12 kills and an ace. Junior Gabriela Machin also had a standout performance with 12 kills and five blocks.
Youngstown State outhit Cleveland State with a 28.7% attack percentage and held a 9-to-5 block advantage. The Penguins also led in service aces, 8-3.
Overall, YSU’s performance pushed its record to 13-13 and 8-7 in the Horizon League heading into the second match.
The Vikings came back, and forced the Penguins into a competitive five-set showdown. The Penguins started strong with a 25-19 win in the first set, followed by a 25-18 victory in the second.
The Vikings took the third set 25-23, then carried the momentum into a 25-19 win in the fourth set, to push the match to a decisive fifth set.
Once again, Householder stepped up as a major leader for the Penguins, as she recorded 17 kills and 10 digs to keep the YSU offense consistent.
Freshman Layne Graffice put up 15 kills and 15 digs, and Machin added 14 kills and five blocks. Defensively, sophomore Taya Nordmann contributed five blocks, while freshman Kameron Blizniak fueled the offense throughout the match.
The fifth set belonged entirely to the Penguins. A massive 9-0 run allowed YSU to win the final frame 15-6, sealing the series sweep over CSU.
The win pushed the Penguins to a 14-13 overall record and secured a record ninth conference victory in program history. The momentum from Thursday’s sweep and Friday’s five-set victory carried YSU into the game against Purdue Fort Wayne.
Throughout the three sets, the Penguins swept the Mastodons with scores of 25-16, 25-14 and 25-13. Youngstown State applied pressure early with strong serving, consistent blocking and offensive runs.
Householder delivered a huge night with 20 kills on 40 attempts and added 12 digs for a double-double. Machin put together a 13-kill performance with only one error, while Blizniak fueled the offense with 35 assists.
Defensively, YSU recorded eight total blocks and added five aces on the service line, preventing PFW from generating sustained momentum. As a team, the Penguins hit 31.2%, as one of their most consistent attacking performances of the season.
The sweep clinched a spot in the Horizon League Volleyball Championship for the Penguins and extended their program-record, conference-win total.
Youngstown State looks to carry the momentum into its postseason run for the Horizon League Quarterfinals, for the first time since 2022. The Penguins will face the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay at 3 p.m. Nov. 21 in Highland Heights, Kentucky.
If the Penguins defeat the Phoenix, they will advance to the semifinal round on Nov. 22 to face No. 2 seeded Wright State University. YSU will look for its first win against the Raiders since Sept. 28, 2018.
The championship match will be held Nov. 23, with all matches streaming through ESPN+.