Volleyball Wraps Up Busy Stretch at Loyola, Valpo
10/8/2010 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Youngstown -- The Youngstown State volleyball team concludes a five-matches-in-10-days stretch this weekend with Horizon League contests at Loyola and Valparaiso. The Penguins will play at Loyola on Saturday at 5 p.m. Eastern and at Valparaiso on Sunday at 4 p.m. Live video will be available on the Horizon League Network for both matches.
Youngstown State and Loyola will both be battling for their first Horizon League victories as they enter with an 0-6 mark in league play. The Penguins have lost nine straight matches, and the Ramblers have dropped six of their last seven. The Crusaders, meanwhile, are 15-3 overall and 4-2 in Horizon League play.
Scouting Loyola
Youngstown State will head to Chicago with Loyola having lost six of its past seven matches. All six of those losses came to Horizon League opponents, and the Ramblers' lone win since Sept. 14 came at Bradley. The Ramblers were swept by Valparaiso 25-10, 25-18, 25-15 on Tuesday. Senior Colleen Francis leads Loyola with 3.42 kills per set. Fellow senior Mallory Curran became Loyola's all-time blocks leader on Tuesday, and she is averaging 0.81 blocks per set this season. Loyola ranks third in the league in hitting percentage and kills, but the Ramblers are last in blocks and seventh in digs.
Scouting Valparaiso
Valparaiso is 11-1 in non-conference play and 4-2 in Horizon League contests. The Crusaders won 11 straight matches after losing its season opener against Virginia. Valpo's conference wins have come against Wright State, UIC, Green Bay and Loyola, and the Crusaders dropped five-set affairs to Butler and Milwaukee. Four different Crusaders are averaging more than two kills per set, and Tara Diebler leads the way with 2.98 per set. Her 0.83 blocks per set are also a team high. Libero Taylor Root leads the Horizon League with 5.68 digs per set. Valpo leads the league in digs and ranks second in hitting percentage. Valpo plays host to Cleveland State on Saturday before playing YSU.
Last Year versus Loyola
Youngstown State won both meetings with Loyola last season. In Youngstown, YSU hit .336 as a team against the Ramblers, which was their best ever percentage in a Horizon League contest. Ruth Boscaljon had 20 kills to lead YSU, which won 22-25, 25-18, 25-18, 25-22. The Guins then swept the Ramblers on the road, winning 25-17, 25-20, 25-20. Brittany Grove had a match-high 13 kills and hit .407.
Last year versus Valparaiso
Youngstown State lost both matches to Valparaiso last season, going down in three in Youngstown and in four at Valpo. The Penguins hosted the Crusaders the opening week of conference play last season and fell 25-21, 25-19, 25-15. Amy Groesbeck had a match-high 19 kills for Valpo, which outhit YSU .310 to .104. At Valpo, YSU outhit the Crusaders .186 to .162 and posted 11 more blocks in a losing effort. Valpo had 15 more kills than YSU, including 26 from Angie Porche.
New Blocks Record vs. WSU
The Penguins set a season high with 15 blocks on Tuesday night against Wright State. More impressively, the Guins had just three blocks through the first two sets. They had eight in the third and four more in the fourth. The eight blocks in the third set is the most since 25-point rally scoring began in 2008. Freshman Jenna Cavanaugh had a match-best nine blocks, and junior Dani Soubliere set a new career high with six blocks. Cavanaugh's nine blocks were the most by a freshman since Ruth Boscaljon had nine on Sept. 29, 2006.
Grove Steps in with injuries
Junior Brittany Grove has played in every set over the last three matches, due in part to injuries to her teammates. In her first start of the season at Cleveland State on Oct. 1, she set season highs with eight kills, 26 attempts and five digs. Grove added six kills, two assists, an ace and a season-best seven digs against Wright State on Tuesday. She had two kills in a reserve role on Wednesday against Butler. Last season, Grove appeared in all 28 matches and started 18. She posted 179 kills, which ranked third on the team, and 171 digs.
Johnson Sees More Time
Also because of injuries, freshman middle blocker Nichele Johnson got her first start at Cleveland State on Oct. 1. Johnson, who had played in just three sets all year through September, has now played in all 10 sets in October. She has 11 kills in those 10 sets, and she's had four in each of the past two matches. Johnson also had two blocks in the last two matches.
Hundelt Better at Home
Youngstown State freshman Marissa Hundelt has had a solid all-around start to her collegiate career, but she's been especially impressive at home. She is averaging 3.14 kills per set, and she has a .188 attack percentage at Beeghly Center. Those numbers are much better than the 1.44 kills per set and -.025 attack percentage she's assembled in 11 matches away from Youngstown.
Soubliere Having Career Year
In her first season as the full-time starter at setter, Dani Soubliere has already posted career highs in several statistical categories. The junior's 51 kills are more than double her previous career high (21), and she surpassed her previous career high in assists on Oct. 1. Soubliere also has career highs with 13 aces and 85 digs.
Reid Showing Improvement
Junior right-side hitter Tasha Reid has shown a big improvement from her sophomore season. Reid ranks second on the team with 112 kills, and her 39 blocks rank third. Last season Reid had 84 kills and 30 blocks in 63 sets. She had 154 kills and 63 blocks as a redshirt freshman in 2008, but she is posting career highs in kills per set (2.11) and blocks per set (0.74) in 2010. Reid missed both matches earlier this week with a concussion.
McNeal Back at Libero
After missing a match and being limited with a foot injury, junior Brittany McNeal has returned to her role as the starting libero the past three matches. She reached double figures in digs in each of those matches, and she now has nine 11-plus digs matches this year. McNeal is averaging career highs with 3.28 digs per set and 0.60 assists per set. She needs just 18 digs to match her total from last season.
