Youngstown State University
5-20,2-12Horizon
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Purdue Fort Wayne
7-21,5-10Horizon
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Youngstown St. | 21 | 25 | 25 | 27 | 3 |
| Purdue Fort Wayne | 25 | 23 | 23 | 25 | 1 |
Penguins Top Mastodons Behind Gursching's 23 Kills
10/30/2021 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
First-year outside hitter Paula Gursching put forth a herculean effort with 23 kills on 63 attempts to lead the Youngstown State volleyball team to a 3-1 victory at Purdue Fort Wayne on Saturday evening. The set scores at the Gates Sports Center were 21-25, 25-23, 25-23, 27-25.
Gursching had five more kills and 14 more attempts than any other player on the floor, and she added a match-high four aces, eight digs and four blocks. It was the fifth time this season that she reached the 20-kill plateau and the third time she did it in a four-set match.
Amanda Lebioda added 10 kills, Josi Borum contributed 38 assists and 11 digs, Caitlyn Jones had a match-best 20 digs, and Nadia Pace registered five blocks.
Katie Crowe and Madelyn Wurster had 18 kills apiece for Purdue Fort Wayne.
The teams battled through 30 ties and 14 lead changes in the match, and there were 10 ties and four lead changes in the first set alone before the Mastodons emerged with a 25-21 win.
Gursching had five kills in six attempts in the second set, and Purdue Fort Wayne had nine attack errors as the Penguins evened the match at a set apiece with a 25-23 win. YSU went on a 7-2 run when it trailed 19-16.
Gursching then had eight kills in the third set, which was the high kills total in a set by a Penguin his season, in another 25-23 win. Attack errors were costly for the Mastodons again as they committed 10. Purdue Fort Wayne led 21-18, but Gursching had two kills and a block during a 5-0 run that boosted the Red and White.
Youngstown State then raced out to a 9-4 advantage in the fourth set, and it held the lead until Purdue Fort Wayne went on a 7-2 run to go up 23-22. Isidora Sisic had a kill to give the Penguins a side out, but an attack error gave Purdue its first of two set points. A kill by Gursching knotted the score at 24, and a Mastodon attack error allowed YSU to tie the st at 25. Gursching followed with her final kill, and she teamed up with Pace for a block on match point.
YSU will play its final four contests of the regular season at Beeghly Center. The four-match homestand will begin on Friday as the Penguins host Robert Morris at 6 p.m.
