Youngstown State University
10-5, 0-1
Milwaukee
6-8, 1-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Youngstown State | 25 | 17 | 15 | 21 | 1 |
| Milwaukee | 23 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Volleyball Drops League Opener at Milwaukee in Four Sets
9/21/2012 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Milwaukee had four players finish with at least 11 kills and hit .305 as a team to defeat the Youngstown State volleyball team 23-25, 25-17, 25-15, 25-21 on Friday evening at the Kotsche Center in the Horizon League opener for both schools.
The Penguins held the Panthers to a .125 attack percentage in the opening set to win 25-23, but Milwaukee hit at least .345 in each of the final three sets. YSU hit .333 in the final set but couldn't keep up with UWM's .429.
Missy Hundelt let YSU with 14 kills, and Shannon Watson added 10. Alexis Egler finished with 14 digs, and Jenna Cavanaugh posted four kills in the final set to go along with her five blocks for the match.
Julie Kolinske registered 19 kills, and Rachel Neuberger had 16 kills on a .517 attack percentage for Milwaukee. Libero Anna Bartz added a match-best 26 digs.
Although they couldn't come away with a win, the Penguins demonstrated that they intend to be much more competitive in the conference in 2012. UWM, which has now won 26 straight league matches overall, had swept YSU handily in the last four matches. The Penguins were held on average to 14.8 points per set against the Panthers over the last two years.
YSU battled through eight ties and four lead changes in the first set before emerging with a 25-23 victory. A kill by Watson gave the Penguins their largest lead at 18-14, but Milwaukee came back to tie the match at 22-22. Hundelt's third kill of the set came on set point.
Milwaukee stormed out to a 9-2 lead in the second set and led comfortably the entire way, and the Panthers used an 8-2 run midway through the third set to build a 22-13 lead that they carried to a 25-15 win.
Although YSU led 5-3 in the fourth, Milwaukee surged ahead to go up 14-8. The Penguins, though, kept fighting and cut the margin to two at 18-16 and 21-19. Kolinske's kill put the Panthers up 22-19, and Hundelt was blocked on the next point to give UWM a 23-19 advantage. Cavanaugh had kills for YSU's final two points, and Kolinske's 19th kill of the night came on Milwaukee's second match point.
Youngstown State will play at Green Bay on Saturday at 5 p.m. Eastern. The Phoenix lost their conference opener to Cleveland State in four sets tonight.
