Coming off its best regular season in more than a decade, Youngstown State will return to the Horizon League Volleyball Championship at Truist Arena in Highland Heights, Ky. The third-seeded Penguins will begin tournament play against sixth-seeded Green Bay on Friday at 3 p.m. in the quarterfinals.

The winner between Youngstown State and Green Bay will advance to the semifinals on Saturday. YSU's match would be against second-seeded Wright State at 6 p.m., and the championship match is scheduled to be Sunday at 2 p.m.

All matches at the tournament will be broadcast live on ESPN+, and live stats are available through links on YSUsports.com and the tournament central page on HorizonLeague.com.

Match 1 vs. Green Bay

• When: Friday, Nov. 21 | 3 p.m.
• Where: Truist Arena | Highland Heights, Ky.
• Watch: ESPN+
• Stats: SIDEARM Stats

YSU's Horizon League Tournament History

Youngstown State is in the Horizon League Volleyball Championship for the first time since 2022 and for just the second time since 2014. All teams in the league made the tournament before the 2009 season, and, since the change to the current top-six format, YSU has made the tournament in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2022 and 2025.

• Before this season, Youngstown State's best seed was fourth in 2014.
• The Penguins have won three times in the tournament — an opening-round contest over UIC in 2004 and quarterfinal matchups against Green Bay in 2013 and Cleveland State in 2014.
• YSU is 1-2 all-time against Green Bay in the tournament, which includes a 3-1 loss in the quarterfinals in 2022.

YSU News & Notes

Upcoming Milestones

• Kameron Blizniak is 76 assists away from 1,100 this season. If the Penguins can make a run in the tournament, Blizniak could approach the program record of 1,114 for most assists in a season in the current scoring format.
• Bianca Giglio is nine kills from 200 in her two seasons as a Penguin.
• Layne Graffice needs 43 kills to reach 300 this season. Only one YSU freshman has posted at least 300 kills in the current scoring format. Graffice is also 11 digs from 250. Only five YSU freshmen have had at least 250 kills and digs.
• Abbie Householder is 16 kills shy of 1,400 and 24 away from tying YSU's career kills record. She is also 28 digs away from 1,300 in her career.
• Maria Insana needs 34 digs to reach 600 in her career.
• Gabriela Machin is six points shy of 750 in her career.
• Taya Nordmann needs 13 blocks to reach 250 in her career.

Householder Approaching Career Records: Abbie Householder enters the Horizon League Volleyball Championship needing 24 kills to tie the program's record for career kills. The senior outside hitter already has 44 more kills than any other Penguin who has played in the rally-scoring era, and Vickie Robinson (1996-99) owns the overall career mark at 1,408. Householder also ranks third in program history in career digs, fourth in points, and sixth in aces.

Career Kills List

1. 1,408 — Vickie Robinson  (1996-99)
2. 1,384 — Abbie Householder (2022-25)

Career Digs List

1. 1,495 — Jill Raslevich  (1992-95)
2. 1,315 — Nikki Thompson (2012-15)
3. 1,272 — Abbie Householder (2022-25)

Career Points List

1. 1,784.5 — Vickie Robinson (1996-99)
2. 1,724.5 — Ruth Boscaljon (2006-09)
3. 1,653.5 — Amy Hermann (1994-98)
4. 1,601 — Abbie Householder (2022-25)

Career Aces List

1. 165 — Lori Longo (1986-89)
2. 156 — Dina Hartman (1987-90)
3. 143 — Sam Brown (2014-17)
4. 139 — Julie Meese (1986-89)
5. 133 — Jen Kathe (1986-89)
6. 129 — Abbie Householder (2022-25)

Horizon League Individual Leaders (Top 10 - Overall Stats)

• Kameron Blizniak — 5th in assists per set (9.23)
• Brie Habeeb - 9th in digs per set (3.55)
• Abbie Householder — 1st in kills per set (4.14); 1st in points per set (4.67); 4th in aces per set (0.31); 9th in hitting percentage (.278)
• Gabriela Machin — 3rd in hitting percentage (.341); 9th in kills per set (3.19)
• Taya Nordmann — 8th in blocks per set (0.99)

Breaking HL Wins Record: Youngstown State has set a new school record for Horizon League victories with 11. The previous record was eight, which was set in 2022. The Penguins have won more than 11 conference matches — including their time in the Ohio Valley Conference, the Mid-Continent Conference and the Horizon League — just once when they went 13-1 in 1999 in the Mid-Con. The 11 victories allowed YSU to earn the third seed, its highest ever at the Horizon League Volleyball Championship. YSU finished in a three-way tie for third place in the regular-season standings but won the tiebreaker with IU Indy and Milwaukee by having a combined 4-0 record against the Jaguars and Panthers. It is quite an overachievement according to the Horizon League preseason poll, which pegged the Penguins to finish 10th.

Overall and Home Success: In addition to breaking the school record for Horizon League victories and winning percentage during the regular season, Youngstown State has secured its first winning season since 2014. The Penguins are 16-13 heading into this week and will finish at least two matches above .500. YSU's last 17-win season was in 2014, and the last time it won at least 18 matches was when the 1999 team finished 27-5. The Penguins were especially strong at home during the regular season and tied the program record with 10 wins. YSU went 8-1 against conference opponents inside Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center, splitting with Northern Kentucky and going 7-0 against Robert Morris, Milwaukee, Cleveland State and Purdue Fort Wayne.

Four Player-of-the-Week Selections: Four times during the regular season, Youngstown State had a student-athlete be named an Under Armour Horizon League Player of the Week. Junior Gabriela Machin was selected the opening week of the season as she began a breakout season, and freshman Kameron Blizniak was honored on Oct. 20. Abbie Householder earned the distinction twice, on Oct. 27 and the final award this past Monday. This was the first time since 2014 and just the sixth time ever that three different Penguins have received the weekly honor.

Householder Adds National Weekly Honor: In the final week of her final regular season, Abbie Householder achieved what no other Penguin and only two players in Horizon League history have done. She was named the National Player of the Week by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. Householder averaged 7.17 kills per set, the fourth-most in the country, and 7.92 points per set in leading the Penguins to two wins over Purdue Fort Wayne. The senior outside hitter from Canfield, Ohio, posted 43 kills in six sets, and her production came efficiently as she posted a .415 attack percentage and had kills on 52.4% of her 82 attempts.

Three Earn Academic All-League Nod: Earlier this week, the Horizon League announced that Abbie Householder and Gabriela Machin were voted to the 2025 Valeo Horizon League All-Academic Team while Maria Insana was named honorable mention. Householder was voted to the All-Academic Team for the second straight season, while Machin and Insana were recognized for the first time in their careers.

Blizniak Reaches 1,000 Assists: In Friday's regular-season finale, freshman setter Kameron Blizniak reached 1,000 assists this season. She is the second Penguin since 25-point rally scoring was instituted in 2008 to record 1,000 in a season, joining Val Jeffery (three straight seasons from 2014-16). Blizniak is also the first freshman setter to reach 1,000 in the current format. She is the third overall and the first since 2002 (Angie Pasquinelli).

Efficient Hitting: YSU is hitting .246 this season, which is the second-highest mark in school history and the best since hitting .269 in 1999. The Penguins were been even better in Horizon League matches with a .255 clip, which is 41 points better than the current record of .214 in 2022. YSU had its top two attack percentages ever in a Horizon League match this season when it hit .372 at Robert Morris on Oct. 28 and .365 versus Milwaukee on Oct. 25. As the Penguins won nine of their last 11 matches of the regular season dating back to Oct. 17, they hit .289. For perspective, that percentage over the entire season would rank 12th in the country.

Youth Movement: Youngstown State has 10 newcomers on its roster this season as one of the youngest teams in the country. According to research from Northwestern State's Brad Welborn, YSU is one of seven Division I schools with at least nine freshmen on its roster in 2025. The group of 17 student-athletes includes seven true freshmen, two redshirt freshmen and three sophomores. Abbie Householder, Gabriela Machin, Julia Sell and Maria Insana are the only players who have been with the program more than two years.

Team Tidbits

• The Penguins are averaging 13.00 kills per set this season, its most since 25-point rally scoring began in 2008.
• Layne Graffice is one of three YSU freshmen to have at least 250 kills in the current scoring format.
• Abbie Householder is the first Penguin to score at least 500 points in a season twice.
• Householder broke YSU's record for most kills in a three-set rally scoring match with 23 on Friday against Purdue Fort Wayne. She had 20 the night before, giving her 43 in six sets in her final two home matches.
• Householder is one of two active Division I players with at least 1,300 career kills and 1,200 career digs (Keyana Cruse, Western Illinois).
• The Penguins have started at least four newcomers in every match and have started five newcomers 13 times. Kameron Blizniak has started every match at setter; Layne Graffice or Presley Stokes has started every match at outside hitter; and Brie Habeeb has started at libero 16 times. YSU has also started at least one transfer at middle blocker in every contest, and Taya Nordmann has made 26 consecutive starts.
• Machin is one of 10 players in the country averaging at least 3.0 kills per set while also hitting at least .330.
• The program got national publicity on Sept. 30 when Presley Stokes' kick save against Robert Morris was featured as the top play on SportsCenter. With YSU leading 12-9,  Householder dug an attack in the middle back, and Stokes stuck out her left foot on a slide to allow Brie Habeeb to send a diving over pass to RMU's side. Stokes and Nordmann combined for a block to finish the point.

Scouting the Phoenix

Tournament Seed: Sixth
Record: 10-8 in Horizon League play; 11-18 overall
Last Week: Won 3-1 at Robert Morris; Won 3-0 at Robert Morris

Statistical Leaders

• Kills — Katie Schultz (3.27 per set)
• Assists — Emma Johnson (9.55 per set)
• Aces — Emma Best (0.29 per set)
• Digs — Emma Best (3.52 per set)
• Blocks — Olivia Neumann (1.05 per set)

This Season vs. Green Bay

YSU scores are listed first

Sept. 26 at Green Bay » L, 1-3 (26-24, 20-25, 20-25, 25-27) | Box Score | Recap
Sept. 27 at Green Bay » L, 1-3 (16-25, 25-15, 11-25, 33-35) | Box Score | Recap

• Fourteen different Penguins played at least one set when they played at Green Bay to open the Horizon League slate the last weekend in September. Since then, YSU's rotation has primarily been eight student-athletes.
• Kameron Blizniak registered six aces and just one serving error in the two matches. She added 8.25 assists and 2.75 digs per set, and she posted two double-doubles.
• Abbie Householder led YSU with 30 kills over eight sets and surpassed 1,100 career kills. She averaged 3.75 kills on a .215 attack percentage while adding 2.75 digs per set at Green Bay.
• Maria Insana averaged 3.75 digs per set and went over 400 career digs while serving in a defensive specialist role.
• Taya Nordmann led the team with 0.88 blocks per set, and she had seven blocks to go along with six kills in the first match between the teams.
• Presley Stokes set new career highs and posted her first career double-double with 18 kills and 13 digs in the second match against the Phoenix.