Youngstown State University
4-19,1-11Horizon
Oakland
14-9,8-4Horizon
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Youngstown St. | 25 | 12 | 25 | 15 | 9 | 2 |
| Oakland | 20 | 25 | 22 | 25 | 15 | 3 |
Volleyball Pushes Oakland to Five Sets in 3-2 Loss
10/24/2021 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
The Youngstown State volleyball team battled for five sets with Oakland on Sunday afternoon before falling 3-2 to the Golden Grizzlies at the Athletics Center O'rena. The set scores were 20-25, 25-12, 22-25, 25-15, 15-9.
Freshman libero Caitlyn Jones recorded 31 digs, which is the third-most ever by a Penguin in a rally-scoring match, in the five-set setback. Josi Borum registered 38 assists and 12 digs for a double-double, and she tied Nadia Pace for team-high honors with three blocks. Amanda Lebioda paced the Penguins offensively with 16 kills on a.317 attack percentage.
Patti Cesarini matched Lebioda with 16 kills, and four other Golden Grizzlies had at least eight kills. Oakland had a 61-50 edge in kills and a 16-4 advantage in blocks, but the Penguins were still able to push the home squad to five sets.
The Penguins forced Oakland into 10 attack errors in the opening set as they won 25-20, but the Golden Grizzlies started the second set on a 9-3 run on its way to tying the match at a set apiece. Youngstown State then had its best set of the day offensively as it hit .214 in the third behind five kills apiece from both Lebioda and Gursching as it took a 2-1 lead. Oakland countered with a .483 attack percentage, its bets of the afternoon, in the fourth set to force the winner-take-all fifth.
Oakland blocked Gursching on back-to-back points to start the fifth set, and the Golden Grizzlies extended their lead to 7-2 following a kill from Jamie Walling. After a YSU timeout, the Penguins scored three straight points to get right back in the match at 7-5. A service error gave Oakland a sideout, and the margin was at least three the rest of the set.
Youngstown State will play its final two road matches of the regular season next weekend as it travels to Indiana. The Penguins will play at IUPUI on Friday, and they'll take on Purdue Fort Wayne on Saturday. Both matches will begin at 6 p.m., and both will be broadcast on ESPN+.
