Youngstown State University
(#6) 15-14
Valparaiso
(#3) 21-11
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Youngstown State | 19 | 20 | 20 | 0 |
| Valparaiso | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Volleyball's Much-Improved Season Ends with Tournament Loss to Valparaiso
11/16/2012 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Cleveland, Ohio -- Third-seeded Valparaiso hit .250 as a team and closed each set strong in a 25-19, 25-20, 25-20 victory over sixth-seeded Youngstown State in a quarterfinal match at the 2012 Horizon League Volleyball Tournament.
Valparaiso advances to play second-seeded UIC on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. while Youngstown State finishes its best season in 13 years with at 15-14 record.
"We tried to play a little faster tonight, and we have a tendency to be more error-prone when we play that style," YSU head coach Mark Hardaway said. "I thought Valpo hit the ball hard and well all night, and their experience in the tournament showed. When things started to go against us at points, I thought we got tentative."
"I'm proud of the way we battled tonight, and I'm incredibly proud of what we accomplished this year. I told the team there's nothing I can say that can ease the sting, but that's a good thing. Winning is something that this team expected this year. I think in a couple days we'll be able to reflect on the goals we reached and be proud of the progress we made this year."
Shannon Watson had 12 kills and just one error in 23 attempts for YSU to post a match-best .478 attack percentage. Alexis Egler added eight kills, and all-league player Missy Hundelt posted seven to go along with 15 digs. Penguins libero Erika West led all players with 18 digs.
Valpo's Ellen Vanden Berg led all players with 13 kills, and Mary Dent posted 12 kills and a .455 attack percentage. Morgan Beil joined them in double figures in kills with 11.
Youngstown State scored the first two points of the match and led 4-2 after an attack error by Vanden Berg. The Crusaders scored the next three points to go up 5-4 and did not relinquish the lead the rest of the set. YSU tied the set at 13 on an Egler kill, but Valpo scored the next two points to go up 15-13. A Jackie Carlisle kill had the Penguins within two at 19-17, and Valpo closed out the set by scoring six of the final eight points.
Valpo scored the first three points of the second set, and YSU answered with a three-point run to tie it at 3-3. The Penguins built a 6-4 lead, and they held the upper hand until the Crusaders went up 11-10. YSU then went on a four-point run and led 15-12 on a Hundelt kill. The Penguins led 16-14 on a Vanden Berg error, but they were outscored 11-4 the rest of the set. The Crusaders scored five straight points to go up 19-16, and YSU got no closer than two the rest of the way.
The Penguins led 3-1 in the third after a Hundelt kill, but a Beil kill started an 8-0 run for Valparaiso. The Crusaders still led by six at 13-7 after a Mary Dent kill, but YSU mounted a rally and got within two. Watson had two kills during a four-point run as the Penguins trailed just 13-11, and YSU was within two three times before finally getting to cutting the margin to one at 18-17. Vanden Berg and Janelle Hobbs blocked Aly Ryan to start a four-point run that saw the Crusaders go up 22-17. YSU got within three twice, including 23-20, before Valpo closed out the match.
Youngstown State won 10 more matches this season than in 2011, and that win improvement was tied for fifth-best in the country heading into this weekend. The 15 wins was also more than the previous three seasons combined.
