The Youngstown State volleyball team battled defensively, and Josi Borum recorded her fourth triple-double of the campaign in a 3-1 loss to Northern Kentucky on Tuesday evening. The set scores from Beeghly Center in the Horizon League opener for both squads was 25-16, 24-26, 28-26, 25-22.
The Penguins had 15 fewer kills than the Norse, with nine of that difference coming in the opening set, but Youngstown State finished with 87 digs and eight blocks to stay competitive.
With the loss, YSU drops to 5-7 overall and 0-1 in conference play, while NKU improves to 6-6 overall and 1-0 against the league.
Borum was strong across the board again with 13 kills, 20 assists and 16 digs for her Division I-leading fourth triple-double. Abbie Householder had a double-double of 12 kills and 21 digs, and Jazmin Vergara finished with 10 kills and 13 digs. Isidora Sisic led all players with 27 digs, including 12 in the second set.
Joy Banks had 21 kills and 19 digs, Abby Kanakry had 10 kills, and Skyy Smith posted eight blocks to lead the Norse.
NKU had 14 kills and five blocks in the opening set to win 25-16, but Youngstown State countered and only trailed once at 1-0 to win the second set and even the match.
The Penguins had 31 digs in total in the second set, including 12 from their libero Sisic. After Banks' kill tied the set at 24 for NKU, the Penguins scored the final two points on kills from Borum and Householder.
There were 21 ties and nine lead changes over the final two sets, and NKU was able to win both of them.
The Norse led 21-16 following a Banks kill, but Vergara had two kills during a 6-0 Penguins run that put them ahead 22-21. NKU pulled back ahead and converted its fourth set point opportunity on a block by Torie Houston and Smith.
Youngstown State's final lead in the fourth set was at 10-9 on a Householder kill, and NKU went on a 7-1 burst to go up 16-11. The largest margin was 22-16, and YSU fought to get back to 24-22 on a kill by Dayan Malave before Banks finished the match with her 21st kill.
Youngstown State will continue Horizon League play with a pair of road matches this weekend. The Penguins will begin their road trip at Oakland on Friday at 6 p.m.
