Youngstown, Ohio — Youngstown State junior outside hitter Abbie Householder was voted to the All-Horizon League Second-Team after emerging as one of the conference's top six-rotation players in the 2024 season. The league office announced its all-conference teams on Thursday.
Householder ranked second in the conference in both kills (4.00) and points (4.55) per set this season, and she upped her play against league opponents by averaging 4.18 kills and 4.64 points in conference play. Despite Householder posting those impressive numbers, adding 3.21 digs per set, accounting for nearly a third of YSU's attacks during the season and still hitting .197, the conference's coaches voted that 12 student-athletes were more worthy of a first-team nod.
By the vote, the 2024 first team is comprised exclusively of student-athletes playing on the six teams who earned a bid to the conference tournament. In league play, Householder averaged more kills per set than 11 of the first teamers (only four players were within 0.5 kills of her); more points than 11 of them; and more digs than 10 of them. Householder led the league with 315.5 total points during conference play.
Householder was the only player in the Horizon League to rank in the top 12 in both kills and digs per set, and she was one of two players in the league to average at least 3.0 kills and 3.0 digs in conference play. The Canfield, Ohio, native is just the second Penguin in the last 25 years to average at least 3.0 in both categories. Householder posted 17 double-doubles during the season, including 13 against Horizon League opponents, and she reached double digits in kills in 16 of YSU's 18 conference matches.
Householder had plenty of highlight performances throughout her junior season. Householder's season-high for kills was 26 in a five-setter at Robert Morris, which was the second-highest total in a conference match this season. She had 22 kills and 26 digs in a five-set win over LIU to become the third Penguin since 2007 to have a 20-20 match.
For the year, Householder's 440 kills are the fourth-most in program history and the second-most since the 25-point rally-scoring era began in 2008. She is the fourth Penguin to average at least 4.0 kills per set regardless of scoring format. Householder is the fifth Penguin to eclipse 500 total points in a season regardless of format and the second in the 25-point era, and her 4.55 points per set is the seventh-highest mark in program history.
Earlier this week, the conference's Faculty Athletic Representatives voted Householder to the Valeo Horizon League Volleyball All-Academic Team. She was previously voted to the Horizon League All-Freshman Team in 2022.
