By Marissa Masano / The Jambar
The Youngstown State University women’s volleyball team hit the road for its final non-conference tournament at the Ellicott Hotels Western New York Invitational Sept. 12-14.
The Penguins kicked off the tournament with a 3-1 victory over Canisius University on Sept. 12, inside the Koessler Athletic Center.
Freshman Teagan Ng led the match with a career-high 14 kills, while junior Abbie Householder recorded a double-double with 13 kills and 14 digs. Householder also contributed five of the nine aces for the Penguins.
YSU dropped the first set 25-23, but rallied to win the next three sets to secure the match. The Penguins never trailed in the final set, as they rallied with four points to pull ahead. Blocks by junior Julia Sell and Householder set up the match point.
In the second day of the invitational, Youngstown State swept Niagara University at the Gallagher Center with set scores of 25-23, 25-15 and 25-18, which marked the Penguins first sweep of the season.
Householder recorded 16 kills, while Ng added 10. Fifth-year senior Isabel Schaefbauer contributed with 33 assists.
The team trailed early but went on a 7-2 run. An ace by sophomore Maria Insana tied the game 16-16. Crucial blocks by freshman Kelsey Cooper and Schaefbauer helped the Penguins score four of their final five points to close out Niagara in the first set.
In the second set, YSU trailed only once but eventually built a 10-point lead by the final whistle. A kill from Sell sparked a scoring run, which made the score 14-7.
The team trailed early in the third set until a kill by Householder tied the game at 11-11. The team took the lead 13-11 from a kill by senior Kiyah Franklin and maintained it for the remainder of the set to complete the sweep.
The Penguins were swept by Bucknell University in their final match of the invitational. Householder led with 12 kills, and Schaefbauer recorded 22 assists, 15 digs and five kills.
The Penguins struggled offensively, recording a .095 attack percentage compared to Bucknell’s .235. Youngstown also committed 20 errors, while Bucknell had 11.
Today, YSU will travel to James A. Rhodes Arena to face the University of Akron. The Penguins enter the matchup with a record of 4-5. Live stats will be available on ysusports.com.