Volleyball's 2012 Home Opener Set for Tuesday
9/3/2012 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Youngstown -- Off to its best start in five years, the Youngstown State volleyball team will play its 2012 home opener against Robert Morris at Beeghly Center on Tuesday at 7 p.m. The match will be broadcast live on the Horizon League Network, and live stats will be available on YSUsports.com.
The Penguins lost just one set in four matches over the weekend en route to winning the Coppin State Invitational. YSU beat Coppin State in four sets and proceeded to sweep Bryant, North Carolina A&T and Chicago State. Junior right-side hitter Missy Hundelt was honored as the tournament's most valuable player after collecting 36 kills in 12 sets and hitting at a .356 clip. Youngstown State posted a team attack percentage of .313 during the tournament.
The Penguins have now won five consecutive matches for the first time since 2007, and they have matched their win total from all of 2011. YSU also won two matches on the same day for the first time since 2008.
Scouting Robert Morris
Robert Morris will come to Youngstown with a 2-4 mark and winners of its last two matches. The Colonials were swept in all three of their season-opening matches at the Villanova Classic, and they lost in four sets to Bucknell last Friday. Robert Morris then beat Norfolk State in four sets and swept Providence at the Duquesne/Robert Morris Invitational on Saturday. The Colonials have nine returning letterwinners from last season's team that finished 15-17. Senior outside hitter Lindsey Monger has team highs with 3.35 kills per set and 12 aces, and she also averages 3.55 digs per set. She had seven kills and 13 digs when Robert Morris beat Youngstown State in four sets last year at Beeghly Center. YSU owns a 30-6 all-time record against the Colonials. Robert Morris was picked to finish fourth and received one first-place vote in the NEC's Preseason Coaches' Poll.
Last Season vs. Robert Morris
Robert Morris posted 18 total blocks and hit .287 as a team to beat Youngstown State in four sets the last time the two teams played on Sept. 20, 2011, at Beeghly Center. YSU's Jackie Carlisle had a match-high 15 kills, and Shannon Watson added five kills. The three other Penguins with more than eight attempts had a negative attack percentage. YSU played without Missy Hundelt, who missed the match with an injury.
Guins Showcase Efficiency on Offense
Youngstown State posted a .313 attack percentage in its four matches at the Coppin State Invitational. The Penguins hit .222 against Coppin State, .349 against Bryant, .321 versus North Carolina A&T and .410 against Chicago State. The Penguins hit better than .300 in a match just once in the past three years heading into this weekend. They surpassed a .400 attack percentage for the first time since hitting .402 versus Lehigh on Aug. 24, 2007. The .349 effort against Bryant was YSU's best since hitting .384 against St. Peter's in 2008.
Individually, all six Penguins with more than 23 attempts hit at least .286, and five players hit at least .333. Freshman middle blocker Aly Ryan posted Youngstown State's best attack percentage at .391, finishing with 23 kills and five errors in 46 attempts. Missy Hundelt and Jenna Cavanaugh both registered a .356 attack percentage.
Cavanaugh is League's Top Blocker
Junior middle blocker Jenna Cavanaugh leads the Horizon League in blocks per set at 1.47. She has two solo blocks and 26 block assists in 19 sets. Her 10 blocks against McNeese State is the most by a Horizon League player this season. She also registered six blocks against Bryant, which is tied for the eighth-best single-match performance in the conference. Additionally, Cavanaugh's .378 attack percentage with 35 kills and seven errors in 74 attempts ranks second in the conference.
Up Next
Youngstown State will travel just an hour west of campus for three matches at the University of Akron's Zips Invitational this weekend. On Friday, YSU will play Binghamton at 11 a.m. and SIU-Edwardsville at 5 p.m. The Penguins will then play the host Zips on Saturday at 2 p.m.
