Loretto, Pa. — Youngstown State's volleyball team forced a fifth set by overcoming a 2-0 deficit but couldn't complete the comeback in a 3-2 loss to Lafayette on Friday afternoon at DeGol Arena. Set scores were 25-21, 25-20, 20-25, 20-25, 15-9 in the opening match of the Altoona Grand Red Flash Classic.

Four Penguins reached double digits in kills, and Abbie Householder and Layne Graffice tied for team-high honors with 16. Gabriela Machin registered 12 kills in 30 attempts, and Bianca Giglio added 10 kills on 23 swings over the final four sets after YSU shifted to a 6-2 offense.

Brie Habeeb led all players with 26 digs, and YSU had a 72-60 edge in digs. Taya Nordmann had a match-best six blocks in her first match as a Penguin.

Auma Mbeche-Odhiambo had a match-high 18 kills in 36 attempts to lead Lafayette.

Youngstown State hit .385 and .367, respectively, in the two sets it won, but the Penguins hit a combined .108 in the three they lost. YSU was held to six kills in 26 attempts in the fifth set, and it had three consecutive attack errors during Lafayette's 6-0 run to close out the match.

Down 2-0, Youngstown State had the best offensive set of the match in the third by hitting .385 and tallying 18 kills. Six of those were by Giglio on just seven attempts, and Householder and Machin both had four. Householder had five more in eight attempts in the fourth as the Penguins matched their 25-20 win from the third set.

In the fifth set, YSU led 5-3 and 6-4 before Lafayette answered with a 4-0 run to go ahead 8-6. Youngstown State did not lead again, and the final tie came at 9-9 on Householder's 16th kill. Jada Aksu, who had four kills on four swings in the tiebreaker, gave the Leopards a sideout with a termination, and Ella Xiong served out the match.

Youngstown State will have two opportunities on Saturday as play continues at the Red Flash Classic. YSU will play Saint Francis (Pa.) at 11 a.m., and it will take on Siena at 5 p.m. The morning match against SFU will be streamed live on NEC Front Row.