Youngstown State's volleyball team will begin the Horizon League portion of its 2025 schedule this weekend as it travels to Green Bay for two matches. The Penguins and Phoenix will begin conference play on Friday at 7 p.m. Eastern, and they'll play again on Saturday at 2 p.m. Eastern.
Both matches from Green Bay's Kress Events Center will be broadcast live on ESPN+, and live stats will be available for each contest through links on YSUsports.com.
Match 1 at Green Bay
 
Match 2 at Green Bay
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A Glimpse at the Guins
- Youngstown State enters conference play with a 5-6 record following two home losses to Akron and Kent State last week. The Penguins fell in four sets to the Zips, and they had two match points in a five-set loss to the Golden Flashes.
- This is the 25th season of Horizon League play for Youngstown State, which joined the conference in 2001.
- YSU's roster will look very different from last September when the Penguins faced the Phoenix in Youngstown. YSU has started at least four newcomers in every match, and there are 10 newcomers overall on the roster.
- 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. Abbie Householder, Gabriela Machin, Julia Sell and Maria Insana are the only players who have been with the program more than two years.
- Householder became the sixth player in program history to surpass 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in YSU's match against Siena on Sept. 6. At the time, she was one of three active Division I players in the country to have at least 1,000 of each. Householder recorded her second career match with at least 20 kills and 20 digs against Kent State, and she ranks fifth in the Horizon League with 3.49 kills per set.
- Gabriela Machin is off to the best start of her career, averaging 2.96 kills per set while posting a .340 attack percentage. She needs 19 kills to match her total output from the entire 2024 season.
- Three true freshmen have started every match for the Penguins - setter Kameron Blizniak, outside hitter Layne Graffice, and libero Brie Habeeb. Blizniak ranks sixth in the conference in assists per set, Graffice is 14th in kills per set, and Habeeb is seventh in digs per set.
- Youngstown State led the Horizon League with a .231 hitting percentage during non-conference play. YSU has hit .189 or better in 10 of its first 11 matches, and it has been above .200 eight times. The Penguins hit .165 last season and were over .200 six times.
Upcoming Milestones
- Bianca Giglio needs two digs to reach 400 for her career.
- Brie Habeeb is 25 digs shy of reaching 200 this season. Only 10 true freshmen have reached 250 digs at YSU.
- Abbie Householder needs 18 kills to become the seventh Penguin to surpass 1,100 in a career.
- Maria Insana is five digs away from reaching 400 in her career.
Horizon League Individual Leaders (Top 10)
- Kameron Blizniak - 6th in assists per set (7.27)
- Brie Habeeb - 7th in digs per set (4.07); 8th in aces per set (0.28)
- Abbie Householder - 3rd in points per set (4.01); 5th in kills per set (3.49); 9th in hitting percentage (.244)
- Niyah Lester - 6th in blocks per set (1.00)
- Gabriela Machin - 3rd in hitting percentage (.340); 8th in points per set (3.46); 9th in kills per set (2.96)
- Taya Nordmann - 6th in aces per set (0.33); 9th in blocks per set (0.97)
Quick Facts & Preseason Notes
Recapping Last Week
Results
YSU scores are listed first
Match 1 vs. Akron » L, 1-3 (25-23, 15-25, 18-25, 18-25) | Box Score | Recap
Match 2 vs. Kent State » L, 2-3 (19-25, 25-19, 21-25, 25-20, 14-16) Box Score | Recap
- The Penguins couldn't keep up with Akron's .333 hitting percentage in Thursday's loss, and they had two match-point opportunities in Friday's setback to Kent State.
- Youngstown State played with two liberos for part of the Akron match and the entire Kent State contest. Brie Habeeb started both matches, and Maria Insana served as the second libero. Insana recorded a season-best 16 digs in the five-set match against Kent State.
- Bianca Giglio recorded the 200th kill of her collegiate career. She has 180 kills as a Penguin after posting 25 in her two seasons at Marshall.
- Layne Graffice finished with 11 kills and 10 digs against Kent State for the fifth double-double of her career.
- Abbie Householder finished with 22 kills and 21 digs in Friday's five-setter against Kent State. It was the senior's second career 20-20 match and her first at home. Householder recorded the 20th 20-20 match in program history, and she is the sixth to have more than one 20-20 match.
- Juliana Rivera had her season debut against Kent State and played the final three sets as a setter in YSU's 6-2 offense. She finished the evening with 12 assists and six digs.
- Julia Sell made her first appearance since Oct. 1, 2024, when she sustained a season-ending lower-body injury.
- Ava Stratton came in alongside Rivera against the Golden Flashes and finished with career highs of four kills, 12 attempts and one block. She had played in one set in the first 10 matches of the season.
- Presley Stokes had the best match of her career against Akron last Thursday, finishing with seven kills on 21 attempts. She also recorded her first career ace and her first career block in the match.
Scouting Green Bay
- Record: 1-10 overall; 0-0 Horizon League
- Series History: Green Bay leads 45-9
- Last YSU victory: Oct. 24, 2015, at Green Bay
- GB Last Week: Lost 3-2 vs. Western Michigan; Lost 3-1 vs. Tennessee Tech; Lost 3-0 vs. Northern Iowa
- Horizon League Preseason Poll: 3rd of 10
- Statistical Leaders:
- Kills - Katie Schultz (3.53 per set)
- Assists - Emma Johnson (7.70 per set)
- Aces - Jessica Kurpeikis (0.44 per set)
- Digs - Emma Best (3.09 per set)
- Blocks - Olivia Neumann (1.14 per set)
Up Next
Youngstown State will play three home matches in a span of five days next week at Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center. YSU will host RMU at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, and Youngstown State students will receive a free t-shirt and pizza. The Penguins will then play Northern Kentucky next Friday (Oct. 3) and Saturday (Oct. 4), and Friday's match will be the program's annual breast cancer awareness night.
