Youngstown State University
9-6
Kansas State
13-1
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas State | 18 | 27 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
| Youngstown State | 25 | 25 | 17 | 17 | 1 |
Volleyball Finishes Non-Conference Play With Four-Set Loss to Kansas State
9/20/2014 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
The Youngstown State volleyball team had another competitive match against an elite program on Saturday in a four-set loss to Kansas State on Saturday afternoon at the Michigan Invitational.
The Penguins won the first set 25-18 and dropped the second 27-25 to the Wildcats before losing the final two 25-17. Youngstown State ends the non-conference season with a 9-6 mark while Kansas State improves to 13-1.
YSU's Sam Brown finished with a team-high 11 kills and seven digs, and Shannon Watson posted 10 kills and four blocks. All-Tournament Team selection Val Jeffery added 43 assists, four kills and four blocks.
Kansas State had four players reach double figures in kills with Chelsea Keating leading the way with 13 kills. Tournament MVP Kylee Zumach had 12 kills.
"I'm very pleased with how the team bounced back after the loss to Eastern Michigan," YSU head coach Mark Hardaway said. "We didn't compete last night, and, despite the loss today, we fought hard for each point. This is definitely a weekend we can learn from. I loved the personality of the team today, and I'm looking forward to opening conference play at home on Friday."
The Wildcats were strong at the net, posting 12 more kills than the Penguins and outhitting them .288 to .214. Kansas State also held a 14-9 edge in blocks.
Youngstown State used a four-point run to go up 6-3 on Kansas State In the opening set, and the Penguins never surrendered the lead. A Lexi Egler kill put them up 13-7, and an error by Zumach gave the Penguins their largest lead at 18-11. Kansas State got within two twice at 18-16 and 19-17, but YSU finished off the win by scoring six of the final seven points. Watson scored four straight points on two kills and two blocks, and Egler finished the set with an ace.
The Penguins then scored four of the first five points in the second set, but Kansas State rallied and took an 8-7 lead. The Wildcats eventually built a 14-9 advantage, and YSU battled back to tie the score five times before Kansas State prevailed. Egler's ace tied the score at 23, and kills by Lauren Thompson and Brown tied it at 24 and 25, respectively. Zumach and Keating had back-to-back kills to allow KSU to win 27-25.
Kansas State went on a 7-2 run midway through the third set to go up 21-13, and it held on for a 25-17 win. The Wildcats then scored nine of the final 12 points in the final set to finish off the match.
Youngstown State will play its Horizon League and home opener on Friday against Oakland at 7 p.m. The Penguins will also host Wright State next Saturday at 4 p.m.
