Youngstown State's volleyball team will conclude the non-conference portion of its regular-season schedule by hosting a pair of local Mid-American Conference opponents this week at Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center. The Penguins will face off with Akron at 6 p.m. on Thursday, and they'll take on Kent State at 6 p.m. on Friday.
Live stats will be available for both matches this week on Rosselli Court, and Friday's match against the Golden Flashes will be streamed live on ESPN+. There will be no live stream of Thursday's match due to the Youngstown State soccer team's Horizon League match on campus at the same time.
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Match 1 vs. Akron
 
- When:Â Thursday, Sept. 18 | 6 p.m.
- Where:Â Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center | Youngstown, Ohio
- Promotions:Â YSU Window Cling Giveaway; Abbie Householder 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs recognition
- Stats:Â SIDEARM Stats
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Match 2 vs. Kent State
 
A Glimpse at the Guins
- Youngstown State is 5-4 this season after winning one of its three matches last week at the College of Charleston's Steve Baumrind Invitational. YSU is 2-1 on its home floor and is playing at Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center for the first time since the opening weekend of the season.
- Youngstown State has played five sets in four of its last six matches, including three of its last four. YSU has split those four decisions with wins over Siena and Quinnipiac and losses to Lafayette and Stetson. The Penguins played six five-setters all of last season.
- The Penguins are hitting .241 as a team through the first nine matches of the season. That leads the conference, and it is a significant improvement from last season's mark of .165. YSU has hit .200 or better in eight of its first nine matches, which is already more than the six matches of .200 or higher in 2024.
- Junior right-side hitter Gabriela Machin is off to the best start of her career and is coming off her second all-tournament team nod of the season. Machin is averaging 3.08 kills per set on a .354 attack percentage, which ranks second in the Horizon League. On the left pin, Abbie Householder and Layne Graffice are averaging 3.33 and 2.80 kills per set, respectively, and both attackers are hitting better than .215.
- YSU has started five newcomers in each of its last six matches, and four freshmen have been in the starting lineup in every match.
- Householder will be recognized before Thursday's match for reaching 1,000 career kills and 1,000 career digs. She is the sixth player in program history to surpass 1,000 in both categories, and she is one of four active Division I players in the country to have at least 1,000 of each.
- YSU has one of the youngest rosters in the country in 2025. The group of 17 student-athletes includes seven true freshmen, two redshirt freshmen and three sophomores. Householder, Machin, Julia Sell and Maria Insana are the only players who have been with the program more than two years.
Upcoming Milestones
- Bianca Giglio needs two kills to reach 200 in her career. Of her current total of 198 kills, 173 of them have come at Youngstown State.
- Maria Insana is 23 digs away from 400 in her career.
Horizon League Individual Leaders (Top 10)
Quick Facts & Preseason Notes
Recapping Last Week
Results
YSU scores are listed first
Match 1 at College of Charleston » L, 1-3 (17-25, 25-21, 12-25, 23-25) | Box Score | Recap
Match 2 vs. Stetson » L, 2-3 (25-23, 25-11, 23-25, 23-25, 11-15) | Box Score | Recap
Match 3 vs. Quinnipiac » W, 3-2 (25-20, 21-25, 20-25, 25-17, 15-12) | Box Score | Recap
Notes
- Kameron Blizniak had the first two double-doubles of her career to begin the tournament. The freshman setter had 32 assists and 10 digs against Charleston, and she followed with 29 assists and 10 digs versus Stetson.
- Bianca Giglio had a great final two matches offensively in South Carolina. She posted 20 kills on 40 attempts while having just two errors combined in the contests against Stetson and Quinnipiac.
- Abbie Householder moved into the top 10 in YSU history in career kills. She currently has 1,045, which is tied with Colleen Royer (2000-03) for the ninth-most in program history. Even if YSU plays nothing but three-set matches the rest of the season, Householder is on pace to finish her career in the top five.
- Maria Insana slid into the libero position for the final two sets of the tournament against Quinnipiac. She had five digs in the fifth set as the Penguins held on for a 15-12 win over the Bobcats.
- Gabriela Machin was named to an all-tournament team for the second time this season. She averaged a team-high 2.79 kills while hitting at a .280 clip, and she added 0.79 blocks per set.
- Freshman outside hitter Presley Stokes made her collegiate debut in the match against the College of Charleston, and she appeared in all three matches over the weekend. She was one of seven freshmen to play for the Penguins in Charleston.
Scouting This Week's Opponents
Akron
- Record: 5-4
- Last Week: Won 3-1 at Eastern Kentucky; Lost 3-0 vs. Northern Kentucky; Lost 3-0 vs. UT Rio Grande Valley
- MAC Preseason Poll: 10th of 12
- Statistical Leaders:
- Kills - Maureen Mathews (3.92 per set)
- Assists - Martina Villani (8.17 per set)
- Aces - Vanessa Del Real (0.56 per set) - leads the MAC
- Digs - Del Real (3.44 per set)
- Blocks - Chidera Ozoh (0.89 per set)
Kent State
- Record: 4-5
- Last Week: Won 3-2 vs. UT San Antonio; Won 3-0 at North Dakota; Lost 3-0 at North Dakota State
- MAC Preseason Poll: 12th of 12
- Statistical Leaders:
- Kills - Mackenzie McGuire (4.21 per set) - leads the MAC
- Assists - Christina Vigil (9.29 per set)
- Aces - Hailey Brener (0.41 per set)
- Digs - Vigil (2.32 per set)
- Blocks - Adalynn Ginley (1.00 per set)
Next Week
Youngstown State will begin its 18-match Horizon League schedule next week at Green Bay. Friday's match at the Kress Center will be at 7 p.m. Eastern, and it will be broadcast live on ESPN+. Saturday's contest will be at 2 p.m. Eastern.
