Youngstown State University
0-2
Syracuse
2-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Youngstown State | 25 | 25 | 15 | 21 | 8 | 2 |
| Syracuse University | 23 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 15 | 3 |
Volleyball Battles in Two Competitive Losses at Syracuse
8/27/2011 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Syracuse, N.Y. -- Although the Youngstown State volleyball team lost two matches at the Syracuse Big Orange Tournament Saturday, the Penguins continued to show that they are an improved team from last season.
The Penguins took a two-set lead before falling to Syracuse in their first match of the day. Then, as they played in their eighth set in five hours, the Guins were swept by Sacred Heart. Syracuse is coming off of a 23-win campaign while Sacred Heart won 29 matches in 2010.
Sophomore Missy Hundelt (St. Charles, Mo.) had 25 kills in the two matches and finished the three-match weekend with 50 terminations.
Against the host Orange, the Penguins won the first two sets 25-23 before dropping the next three 25-15, 25-21 and 15-8. Hundelt finished with a match-high 19 kills, sophomore Erika West (Painesville, Ohio) posted a match-high 25 digs, and junior Kelsey Wagy (Greeley, Colo.) led all players with seven blocks.
Hundelt had five kills in the opening set as YSU never trailed. Syracuse's Nicolette Serratore had back-to-back attack errors once the Orange tied the score at 19-19, and Hundelt's fifth kill put the set away.
Nichele Johnson (Conneaut, Ohio) took the reins in the second set with five kills as the Penguins prevailed in another close set. Her fourth kills of the set tied the score at 21-21, and the Guins did not trail the rest of the set.
The Orange used an early 7-2 run and controlled most of the third set to win 25-15. Syracuse also led by five midway through the fourth before YSU cut the margin to 21-20 on a Hundelt kill. The Orange scored four of the final five points to force a fifth set, which led the entire way.
Noemie Lefebvre had 14 kills and 22 digs to lead the Orange.
The Penguins had a quick turnaround to play Sacred Heart as the match was moved up due to Hurricane Irene's threat near the Sacred Heart campus. They lost the first two sets 25-20 and dropped the final set 25-21.
Hundelt had six kills and 10 digs for YSU, and Dianis Mercado had a match-high 13 kills for the Pioneers.
The Pioneers led by as many as five in the opening set, but YSU went on a 6-1 run to tie e the score at 17-17. After the teams traded points, Sacred Heart scored five of the next six points to go up 23-19. Mercado finished the set with a kill, her fourth of the set.
Sacred Heart opened up an 8-2 lead in the second set and led comfortably throughout, but the Pioneers had to fight for the third. An attack error by Mercado knotted the set at 20-20, but Sacred Heart scored the next four points en route to the 25-21 win.
Youngstown State will play at Kent State on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
