Youngstown, Ohio — The Youngstown State volleyball team had three players reach double digits in kills in a four-set loss on Saturday to Milwaukee at Beeghly Center. The set scores were 25-20, 25-17, 21-25, 25-20.

Jazmin Vergara had a match-high 15 kills, her most in nearly a month, Abbie Householder finished with 12, and Jocelyn Jourdan had a career-high 11 kills on just 22 attempts. For Householder, it was her eighth straight match with at least 10.

The Penguins nearly matched Milwaukee in the kills column, 56-52, but the serving edge benefitted the road for the second straight contest. The Panthers had nine aces and just two serving errors, while YSU had four aces and eight errors.

Dayan Malave had a match-best six blocks to go along with six kills, and Householder and Isidora Sisic both had nine digs. Josi Borum had 22 assists, and Maria Insana finished with a career-high six digs.

Madi Malone paced Milwaukee with a dozen kills on 25 attempts.

Youngstown State is now 6-11 overall and 1-5 in Horizon League play, and Milwaukee improved to 12-6 overall and 4-0 against conference opponents.

Milwaukee scored the opening four points of the match and held the upper hand for the entirety of the first set to win 25-20. The Panthers then went on an 11-4 run in the back half of the second set to win 25-17 and take a 2-0 lead in the match.

Youngstown State altered its lineup in the third set looking for a spark, and the Penguins did not trail on their way to a 25-21 win. YSU led by as many as five, and it was able to fight off five ties. The final tie came at 21, and a kill by Borum, two kills by Householder and a block by Malave and Borum ended the set.

Milwaukee scored seven of the first nine points of the fourth set, and it led 22-11 before the Penguins made a late charge to get as close as 23-20 with a 9-1 run.

Youngstown State will play its next four matches on the road, starting with contests at Purdue Fort Wayne and IUPUI next weekend.