Youngstown, Ohio — After helping Youngstown State's volleyball team to its best record in more than a decade, head coach Riley Jarrett has announced new titles for assistant coaches Grace Wilson and Maddie Clayton.
"I am very happy to share that we have promoted both of our assistant coaches with new titles!" Jarrett said. "Grace and Maddie have both been here since I took over this program, and they have greatly helped create a winning culture here at YSU. They are both very deserving of this, and we are happy they are part of our Penguin family."
Jarrett, Wilson and Clayton arrived at YSU before the 2024 season and will enter their third season together this fall. Wilson was previously an assistant coach at Cedarville, and Clayton came to Youngstown from Muskingum.
"Grace oversees many behind-the-scenes areas within our program," Jarrett said. "She plans all of our travel and meals, manages a majority of our budget, and so much more. Maddie has a great eye for talent and the type of student-athlete we want in our program. She is very organized with all our recruiting efforts and plans all of our on-campus visits."
The Penguins set a school record with 11 Horizon League victories in 2025 and earned the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament, the highest in program history. It was quite an overachievement according to the Horizon League preseason poll, which pegged the Penguins to finish 10th.
In addition to breaking the school record for Horizon League victories and winning percentage during the regular season, YSU secured its first winning season since 2014 with a 17-14 record. The Penguins were especially strong at home during the regular season and tied the program record with 10 wins, matching the 1999 team. YSU won eight more matches than it did in 2024.
Statistically, the Penguins set a program record in the 25-point rally scoring era with 1,555 kills. That total ranks sixth in program history regardless of scoring format and is the highest since 2007. YSU also set records for the current era with 13.07 kills per set overall and 13.58 kills per set in Horizon League play. YSU had an efficient offense with a .247 attack percentage, the second-best mark in program history.
