Youngstown State University
5-6
Robert Morris
10-1
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Morris | 22 | 26 | 21 | 0 |
| Youngstown State | 25 | 28 | 25 | 3 |
Penguins Win Twice on Friday at Red & White Invitational
9/20/2019 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
The Youngstown State volleyball team won both of its matches on Friday at the Red & White Invitational, sweeping previously-unbeaten Robert Morris and topping Eastern Illinois in four sets at Beeghly Center.
The Penguins improved to 5-1 at home this season with the two victories, and they will battle Central Michigan on Saturday at 2 p.m. for the tournament title.
Senior outside hitter Aleah Hughes led the Penguins with 25 kills in the two matches, and she added 25 digs. Brooklen Pe'a posted 23 kills, and Erin Kalahar had 14 kills and eight blocks.
Match 1 vs. Robert Morris | Highlights
Youngstown State began the day in impressive fashion by sweeping Robert Morris, which had lost six sets all season and was one of 10 remaining unbeaten teams in the country. The set scores were 25-22, 28-26, 25-21.
Pe'a had a match-best 15 kills and 10 digs, and Hughes also had a double-double with 13 kills and 15 digs. Alyssa Oswald notched 10 kills, and Margaux Thompson had a team-high 16 digs. Alexia Byrnes had 40 assists, six kills, nine digs and three blocks. She also helped the Penguins hit .239 and get blocked just three times against the Colonials, who came into the match ranking fourth in the nation with 3.22 blocks per set.
Emma Granger had 12 kills to lead Robert Morris.
RMU led 21-17 late in the first set before Youngstown State made a charge by scoring eight of the last nine points of the match. A Byrnes kill started the run, and she assisted on an Aimee Beaupree kill that sparked a 6-0 spurt to end the set. With Beaupre serving, YSU got two kills from Hughes, one from Kalahar, an ace and a ball-handling error to take the 25-22 win.
There were 11 ties and four lead changes in the second set, and YSU led 23-19 late following a solo block by Kalahar on a Granger attack. Robert Morris saved five set points before Reilly Seagroves gave the Penguins a 2-0 lead in the match with an ace at 27-26. That was one of three aces by Seagroves in the match, and YSU had 10 aces as a team.
YSU's only deficit in the third set was 2-1, and the final time the score was tied was at 4-4.
Match 2 vs. Eastern Illinois | Highlights
Riding the high of sweeping Robert Morris, Youngstown State outlasted Eastern Illinois in four sets to improve to 2-0 on the day. The set scores were 25-20, 19-25, 25-23, 25-22.
Hughes had 12 kills and 10 digs for the only double-double in the match, and Kalahar had an impressive effort with 10 kills on a .444 attack percentage, two aces and four blocks.
Katie Sommer had 12 kills, and Madison Cunningham had 27 digs to lead Eastern Illinois.
Kalahar had four kills in the opening set, including two during a 6-1 run that gave the Penguins a 12-8 lead. Her solo block of Sommer put YSU ahead 22-17, and the Penguins went on to win 25-20.
Eastern Illinois knotted the match by scoring nine of the final 12 points of the second set, but YSU bounced back to win the last two sets.
Neither team led by more than three the entire third set, and that came when YSU went ahead 9-6 on a Beaupre kill. A Kalahar kill gave the Penguins a 24-22 lead, and Pe'a finished the set with a kill.
A Seagroves ace in the fourth set allowed the Penguins to open up a 10-4 lead, but Eastern Illinois climbed back and took a 17-16 lead on a kill by Ireland Hieb. EIU's final lead came at 19-18, and YSU answered with a 6-1 run to set up four match points. The Panthers saved two of them, but a serving error after a timeout gave the Penguins the 25-22 win.
