Volleyball Starts Three-Match Road Trek at Cleveland State
10/21/2011 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Youngstown -- The Youngstown State volleyball team starts its final road trip of the regular season this evening when it plays Cleveland State at Woodling Gym at 7 p.m.
The Penguins are coming off two four-set losses at home last week while Cleveland State has won five of its last six matches. Cleveland State swept YSU at Beeghly Center on Sept. 23.
YSU is looking to get back on the winning track, having dropped five straight matches after its win at Loyola on Oct. 4. The Penguins were competitive in both matches last week but lost in four sets to Butler and Wright State. YSU took the opening set in both matches before losing the next three.
The Penguins beat the Bulldogs 25-21 in the opener and led 24-22 in the second set before Butler rallied to win 31-29. The Bulldogs went on to win the next two sets 25-22. Similarly the next day, YSU beat Wright State 25-18 in the first set before losing 25-15, 25-23, 25-19. The Raiders hit .333 over the final three sets after hitting just -.079 in the opener.
Sophomore Missy Hundelt had double-doubles in both matches last weekend and now has eight for the season. She had 13 kills and a season-high 16 digs against Butler, and she had 14 kills and 11 digs against Wright State. Hundelt ranks fourth in the Horizon League in kills per set with 3.53, and her 0.38 aces per set ranks third. Fellow sophomore Jackie Carlisle had 22 kills against the Bulldogs and 13 against the Raiders to move into 10th in the Horizon League rankings with 2.82 kills per set.
Cleveland State swept Loyola in Chicago on Tuesday to improve to 15-6 overall and 8-2 in Horizon League play. The Vikings' lone loss in October was a 3-0 setback to Butler last Saturday. Junior outside hitter Kara Koch is a conference player-of-the-year candidate, averaging 3.94 kills and 0.30 aces per set. Jackie Dabbelt and Marie Frease both have an attack percentage of at least .320.
After Friday's match, Youngstown State will play at league-leading Milwaukee and at non-conference foe Chicago State next week.
