Youngstown State University
10-9, 2-2HL
Valparaiso
14-4, 3-1HL
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valparaiso | 25 | 28 | 27 | 3 |
| Youngstown State | 17 | 26 | 25 | 0 |
Valparaiso Outlasts Volleyball to Win in Three
10/11/2013 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Valparaiso needed extra volleyball in each of the final two sets but held on to sweep Youngstown State 25-17, 28-26, 27-25 on Friday evening at Beeghly Center.
Alexis Egler had 14 kills to lead all players, and Erika West registered a match-best 16 digs. Valparaiso had three players with at least 12 kills with Morgan Biel and Ellen Vanden Berg finishing with 13 apiece.
Valparaiso improved to a league-best 14-4 overall and 3-1 in Horizon League play while YSU dropped to 10-9 overall and an even 2-2 mark in conference matches.
The Penguins hit .228 as a team, but they struggled to stop Valpo's attack for most of the match. YSU came into the contest leading the Horizon League in blocks per set but didn't record its first until the third set. That allowed the Crusaders to hit .314 as a unit. Biel and Vanden Berg combined for a .581 attack percentage.
Valparaiso hit .395 and led comfortably for most of the first set, but the Penguins battled back and had set point chances in each of the final two sets.
The Crusaders went up 7-2 in the second set and led until Jenna Cavanaugh's kill tied the set at 16. A Shannon Watson kill, one of six in the set, gave the Penguins their first lead at 17-16, but Green Bay scored the next five points to go ahead 21-17. An ace by West tied the set again at 23, and Valparaiso allowed YSU to hang around by serving long on two straight set points. Kelsey Victor had a kill to save a YSU set point for the Crusaders, and the Penguins had attack errors on the next two points.
The roles were reversed in the third set as the Penguins led 7-2 and held the upper hand until Valpo tied the set at 14. Neither team led by more than one until Valpo scored three straight points to go up 20-18. The Penguins answered with a 6-2 run to take a 24-22 lead, and they were misfortunate when a block attempt got sent back on an off-balance dig and found the floor. Emily Campbell's kill tied the match at 24-24, and she had another kill on YSU's next set point. Biel's kill put Valpo ahead 26-25, and Egler hit wide on match point. Valpo ended the match on a 5-1 run.
Youngstown State will try to bounce back on Saturday at 4 p.m. with a match against UIC. Admission is free, and parking for the match will be in the M-2 deck.
