Youngstown, Ohio — Abbie Householder posted her second career 20-20 match, but Youngstown State's volleyball team was outlasted by Kent State in a five-set decision on Friday evening at Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center. The set scores were 25-19, 19-25, 25-21, 20-25, 16-14.

Householder finished with 22 kills and a match-best 21 digs, marking just the 20th match in program history in which a Penguin recorded at least 20 kills and 20 digs. Layne Graffice and Gabriela Machin added 11 kills apiece, and Machin's final kill gave YSU a 14-12 lead in the decisive fifth set.

The Penguins had back-to-back attack errors to allow the Golden Flashes to pull even, and Macie Moreland and Mackenzie McGuire followed with kills to seal the win for Kent State. McGuire finished with a match-high 25 kills on 71 attempts, 49 more than the next closest KSU player.

Despite the length of the match, there were only nine ties and six lead changes on Rosselli Court on Friday night.

The Golden Flashes scored five straight points in the opening set to turn a 15-14 lead into a 20-14 advantage, and the 25-19 final margin was the largest of the set. YSU responded with a 25-19 victory in set two, never trailing despite hitting just .026. The Penguins had four blocks and three aces in the set, while Kent State was hindered by four service errors.

McGuire's seven kills helped the Golden Flashes win the third set 25-21, and YSU built a 20-10 lead in the fourth. Kent State rallied to close within 24-20, and it carried momentum into the decisive fifth set.

The largest lead for either team in the final set came when Kameron Blizniak's ace put the Penguins up 11-8. YSU led by three again at 12-9 on a Machin kill, and kills by Julia Sell and Machin gave Youngstown State its two match-point opportunities at 14-12 before Kent State closed with four straight points.

Youngstown State will begin Horizon League play next week with a pair of matches at Green Bay.