The Youngstown State volleyball team suffered its first defeat of the 2022 season and had to settle for a runner-up finish at the 2022 YSU / DoubleTree-Youngstown Volleyball Invitational on Saturday at Beeghly Center.
The Penguins fell in four sets to Valparaiso on Saturday afternoon in the championship match of the season-opening tournament. Both YSU and Valpo went 2-0 on Friday, and the Beacons won with set scores of 25-18, 21-25, 25-10, 25-18.
Paula Gursching led YSU with eight kills in three sets of action, but the Beacons also forced her into eight errors in 31 attempts. Josi Borum tallied six kills, 10 assists, nine digs, and four blocks in three sets. Gursching and Borum were YSU's representatives on the all-tournament team.
Bella Ravotto led Valparaiso with 16 kills, and Emma Hickey registered a match-best 28 digs from the libero position.
The teams were tied at a set apiece after two sets, but Valparaiso took the upper hand with a 25-10 win in the third set. YSU overhauled its lineup for the fourth set and battled through 10 ties and three lead changes before Valpo closed the tournament on a 9-2 run.
The Beacons used an 8-2 run in the first set to turn a 12-8 advantage into a 20-10 edge. The Penguins battled to close the gap to five at 22-17 and 23-18 before Valpo won 25-18, but YSU's run built momentum for the second set.
Behind Isidora Sisic's serve, the Penguins scored eight straight points in the second set to build a 9-1 lead. Borum had two kills and a block in that stretch, and YSU eventually led by nine twice. Valparaiso recovered to tie the set at 16 and 17, but YSU had a three-point burst late to take a 20-17 lead. The Penguins led the rest of the way, and Borum's third block of the set sealed the win.
The Beacons regrouped at the break and scored the first seven points of the third set en route to a 25-10 win. Valpo hit .395 in the set with 16 kills in 38 attempts, while YSU managed eight kills in 39 swings.
The Penguins tried new combinations in the fourth set with Ellie Cox, Julia Sell, Aimee Beaupre, Cameren George, Amanda Lebioda and Lauren Lask each making their season debuts, and they pushed the Beacons until the final 9-2 run. YSU's final lead was 14-13, and the score was tied as late as 16 on Abbie Householder's fifth kill of the day. The Beacons then scored the next six points to go up 22-16, and the margin was at least five the rest of the day.
Youngstown State will head to Missouri for three matches next weekend at the Billiken Invitational. The Penguins will play Central Michigan and Saint Louis on Friday, and they'll finish the tournament against St. Thomas on Saturday.
