Youngstown State University
Milwaukee
Volleyball to Finish October in Wisconsin This Weekend
10/26/2023 4:45:00 PM | Volleyball
The Youngstown State volleyball team will finish its road-heavy October by playing a pair of Horizon League matches in Wisconsin this weekend. The Penguins will take on league-leading Milwaukee on Friday at 7 p.m. Eastern, and their trek through the Badger State will continue on Saturday at Green Bay at 5 p.m. Eastern.
Both matches will be streamed live on ESPN+, and live stats will be available through YSUsports.com. The Penguins have been on the road since leaving for NKU on Monday, and this weekend's matches conclude a month where YSU played seven of its nine contests away from Beeghly Center.
Youngstown State is 7-17 overall and 2-11 in Horizon League play, and the Penguins are looking to snap a six-match slide dating back to a five-set loss at IUPUI on Oct. 7. YSU has played in three five-setters that have resulted in losses during the six-match streak, including a decision at NKU on Tuesday.
Gameday Info
Match 1 at Milwaukee
- When: Friday, Oct. 27 | 7 p.m. ET
- Where: Klotsche Center | Milwaukee, Wis.
- Watch: ESPN+
- Stats: mkepanthers.com
- Social: X | Instagram | Facebook
Match 2 at Green Bay
- When: Saturday, Oct. 28 | 5 p.m. ET
- Where: Kress Center | Green Bay, Wis.
- Watch: ESPN+
- Stats: greenbayphoenix.com
- Social: X | Instagram | Facebook
Recapping Recent Action
Youngstown State went 0-3 last week with losses to Wright State, Cleveland State and Oakland, and it fell in a five-set battle at Northern Kentucky on Tuesday. Against the Norse, YSU battled back from a 2-0 set hole to force a fifth set, and the Penguins overcame deficits of 17-10 and 20-16 in the fourth set.
- Josi Borum reached 2,000 career assists and 200 career blocks in YSU's match at NKU on Tuesday. She has 1,580 in three-plus seasons at Youngstown State in a 6-2 offense, and she recorded 440 in her freshman season at Chicago State. Earlier this season, Borum became the first active Division I player to reach 1,000 kills, digs and assists.
- Borum finished 16 kills, 21 assists and eight digs against the Norse.
- Abbie Householder had a career-high four aces while also recording her 500th career dig against Cleveland State last Friday. She had a season-best 24 digs in the match against the Vikings. The sophomore outside hitter went on to tie her career high with 17 kills at Northern Kentucky on Tuesday.
- Maria Insana tied her career high with two aces in the match against CSU. She is averaging 3.6 digs per set over her last five matches as YSU's libero.
- Gabriela Machin registered a career-best five blocks against the Vikings, and she finished with 10 kills to post double digits in the category for the second time this season.
- Elise Moeller returned to the lineup for the Penguins in Friday's match against Cleveland State after missing six weeks with a lower body injury. Moeller had nine kills and 10 digs in three sets against the Vikings, and she finished with eight kills and 10 digs in three sets at NKU.
- Julia Sell had six blocks against the Norse on Tuesday, and she set a new career high with three solo blocks. She has had at least four blocks in six of YSU's seven matches this month.
- Isabel Schaefbauer finished with a season-high 30 assists in Tuesday's match at NKU.
News & Notes
A Glimpse at the Guins
Milestone Watch:
- Freshman Maria Insana needs one dig to reach 100 for the season.
- Senior Dayan Malave is 15 kills away from getting to 250 in her Youngstown State career. She transferred to YSU from Iowa Western prior to the 2022 season.
- Elise Moeller is 10 kills shy of 200 in her career. She had 83 in two seasons at Evansville, and she has 107 in two seasons at Youngstown State.
- Isabel Schaefbauer is 60 assists away from reaching 1,500 in her collegiate career. She recorded the 1,000th assist of her Penguins career earlier this month at Wright State.
- Isidora Sisic is 11 digs shy of 900 for her YSU career.
- Jazmin Vergara needs five kills to reach 250 for the season.
Horizon League Rankings (top 15)
- Josi Borum » 11th in assists per set (5.07)
- Abbie Householder » 14th in points per set (3.13)
- Dayan Malave » eighth in blocks per set (0.91)
- Julia Sell » fourth in blocks per set (1.10)
- Isidora Sisic » eighth in digs per set (3.62)
- Jazmin Vergara » ninth in kills per set (3.06); 12th in points per set (3.42)
Scouting the Opponents
Milwaukee
- Team Overview: Milwaukee is 17-8 overall and enters the weekend sitting at the top of the Horizon League standings with a 9-2 conference mark. The Panthers have won five of their last six encounters, including victories over second-place teams Northern Kentucky and Wright State.
- League Rankings: Milwaukee is hitting an impressive .253 since the start of Horizon League play. The Panthers are also the top blocking team in the circuit since the start of league play with 2.54 blocks per set.
- Individual Leaders: Outside hitter Madi Malone leads Milwaukee with 3.24 kills per set, and she is hitting .244 on 873 attempts. She's been even better against league opponents with an average of 3.80 kills per set. Middle blocker Ari Miller is hitting .361 and averaging 1.22 blocks per set in league play, which both rank second.
Green Bay
- Team Overview: Green Bay is 9-14 overall and 7-4 against the Horizon League heading into the weekend. The Phoenix will take on Robert Morris on Friday evening while the Penguins are in Milwaukee. After a 6-1 start to league play, the Phoenix have lost three of their last four decisions.
- League Rankings: Green Bay is averaging 1.83 aces per set in conference play, which is the third-best mark in the league. The Phoenix are hitting .212 in league play, and they have been the best in the conference at avoiding the block as opponents are averaging just 1.54 blocks per set against them.
- Individual Leaders: In Horizon League matches, Hannah Vanden Berg ranks seventh in the conference with 3.27 kills per set. Two teammates, Tiffany Paalman and Cora Behnke, are both averaging better than 2.5 kills per set in league play. Vanden Berg also ranks second in the conference with 0.56 aces per set in conference play.
Up Next
Youngstown State will play the final three matches of the regular season at Beeghly Center. The Penguins will host the Horizon League's teams from Indiana next week on Rosselli Court, playing IUPUI on Nov. 3 at 6 p.m. and Purdue Fort Wayne on Nov. 4 at 4 p.m.
