Youngstown State University
Southern Indiana
Penguins Head to Ohio State for Sports Imports Classic
9/10/2026 8:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Penguins Head to Ohio State for Sports Imports Classic
Youngstown State will play in a tournament at Ohio State for the first time in 18 years this weekend as the Penguins head to the state capital for three matches at the Sports Imports Classic. The Penguins will play a pair of neutral-site matches on Friday and Saturday before taking on the Buckeyes on Sunday.
YSU's first contest at the Covelli Center in Columbus, Ohio, will be against Southern Indiana on Friday at 3 p.m., and the Penguins will play Winthrop on Saturday at 1 p.m. Sunday's match against Ohio State will start at 2 p.m. All three matches will be broadcast live on B1G+, and live stats will be available through links on YSUsports.com.
The Week Ahead
Match 1 vs. Southern Indiana
- When: Friday, Sept. 11 | 3 p.m.
- Where: Covelli Center | Columbus, Ohio
- Watch: B1G+
- Stats: SIDEARM Stats
- Social: Instagram | Facebook | X
Match 2 vs. Winthrop
- When: Saturday, Sept. 12 | 1 p.m.
- Where: Covelli Center | Columbus, Ohio
- Watch: B1G+
- Stats: SIDEARM Stats
- Social: Instagram | Facebook | X
Match 3 at Ohio State
- When: Sunday, Sept. 13 | 2 p.m.
- Where: Covelli Center | Columbus, Ohio
- Watch: B1G+
- Stats: SIDEARM Stats
- Social: Instagram | Facebook | X
The Big Ten Network is offering a special offer for fans to buy one month of B1G+ for $4.99 at bigtenplus.com/SportsImportsClassic. The offer is available on web only and cannot be purchased via mobile devices, although the matches will be viewable on mobile and connected devices.
A Glimpse at the Guins
- The Penguins are 2-4 this season, going 2-1 at the YSU Invitational, presented by Mercy Health, to open the campaign and dropping three matches in Indianapolis last weekend. Last week's setbacks were a 3-0 loss to Butler, a 3-1 decision to Ohio and a 3-2 nail-biter against Marshall. The Herd won the Hampton Inn Invitational, and YSU was the only opponent to take it to five sets.
- Kylie Surratt continued her early-season success with an impressive 34 kills in the five-setter against Marshall. That was the second-highest total for an individual match in program history, and it was the highest single-match total by any player in the country last week. Surratt leads the Horizon League through two weeks with 4.27 kills and 4.70 points per set.
- Third-year head coach Riley Jarrett celebrated the 100th victory of her career on Aug. 29 with the win over Canisius. Jarrett was 72-40 over four seasons at Division II West Liberty (West Virginia) from 2020-23, and she is 28-39 at YSU.
- The Penguins rank 49th in the country and second in the Horizon League with 1.91 aces per set, bolstered by their 14 aces in a sweep of Mercyhurst in the season opener. Ava Prince ranks second individually in the conference with 0.53 aces per set.
- Youngstown State has used the first two weekends to test different lineups and rotations. Notably, the Penguins primarily used a 6-2 offense for the first four matches and switched to a 5-1 for the two most recent contests against Ohio and Marshall.
- Eight letterwinners and five players who started at least 14 matches return from last season's squad that went 17-14 overall while winning a school-record 11 Horizon League matches. Three of those returners — Kameron Blizniak, Layne Graffice and Abbie Householder — earned all-conference accolades in 2025.
- After opening the season at Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center, the Penguins are in a stretch of playing seven straight road matches. YSU played three matches in Indianapolis last week, and it has three matches at Ohio State this week. The Penguins will conclude the road stretch at Akron on Sept. 17 before hosting Kent State on Sept. 18 to finish nonconference play.
Upcoming Milestones
- Sophomore Kameron Blizniak is 25 assists shy of 1,300 for her career.
- Sophomore Brie Habeeb is 18 digs shy of 400 for her career.
- Junior Ava Prince needs five assists to reach 200 for her career.
- Fifth-year senior Abbie Householder is 47 kills shy of 1,500 for her career.
Recapping Last Week
YSU scores are listed first
Sept. 3 at Butler » L, 3-0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-21) | Box Score | Recap
Sept. 4 vs. Ohio (at Butler) » L, 3-1 (25-21, 25-22, 21-25, 25-12) | Box Score | Recap
Sept. 5 vs. Marshall (at IU Indianapolis) » L, 3-2 (25-22, 25-20, 25-27, 23-25, 15-13) | Box Score | Recap
- After disappointing scores against Butler to start the weekend in Indianapolis, Youngstown State improved and pushed Marshall to five sets before falling 3-2. Each of the final three sets against the Herd was decided by two points.
- The Penguins had 73 kills against Marshall, which is tied for the third most in program history in the current scoring era. Kylie Surratt accounted for 34 of those 73 kills, while Ava Stratton set a career high with 16 kills.
- Surratt's 34 kills were 12 more than her previous high for a match and the second-highest total by any Penguin in program history. She finished one kill behind Paula Gursching's 35-kill effort at Northern Kentucky in 2022. Surratt had 71 attempts, 16 fewer than Gursching's total, and finished with a .338 attack percentage. Surratt had 32 of those kills over the final four sets, posting two kills in the first set, nine in the second, eight in the third, eight in the fourth, and seven in the fifth.
- Surratt, a transfer from UT-Martin, surpassed 600 career kills last week while earning all-tournament team honors at the second consecutive tournament.
- Kameron Blizniak surpassed 1,250 career assists and 300 career digs last week. She registered her first double-double of the season against Marshall with 63 assists and 14 digs.
- Layne Graffice went over 300 career kills and 300 career digs last week.
- Abbie Householder had her first double-double of the season against Marshall, finishing with 10 kills and 21 digs. She moved into second place on YSU's career digs list, upping her total to 1,326.
- Journey Nicola was YSU's primary libero in the final two matches in Indianapolis, and she responded by recording 19 digs against Ohio and 14 versus Marshall.
Scouting Opponents
Southern Indiana
Record: 2-5
Last Week: Went 0-4 at the Georgia Tech Classic and in a home match against No. 21 Indiana on Labor Day. Decisions at the Georgia Tech Classic included USI losing 3-0 to Georgia Tech, 3-1 to Campbell and 3-1 to Xavier. The Screaming Eagles lost 3-1 to Indiana.
Preseason Poll: Third of nine in the OVC
Noteworthy: This will be the first meeting between YSU and Southern Indiana. Setter Asya Thomas and outside hitter Ashby Willis are returning All-OVC players.
Stat Leaders:
- Kills — Ashby Willis (4.31 per set)
- Assists — Aysa Thomas (9.08 per set)
- Aces — Aspen Jankowski (0.45 per set)
- Digs — Audrey Small (3.43 per set)
- Blocks — Grace Bach (0.65 per set)
Winthrop
Record: 2-2
Last Week: Won both matches at the Winthrop Invitational, sweeping Virginia Tech and topping Old Dominion 3-2.
Preseason Poll: Second of eight in the Big South. Junior outside hitter Paige Bennett was named to the preseason all-conference team.
Noteworthy: Youngstown State is 1-1 all-time against Winthrop, losing 3-2 in 2002 and winning 3-0 in 2017. The last contest between the Penguins and Eagles opened the 2017 season in a tournament at Morehead State.
Stat Leaders:
- Kills — Paige Bennett (4.50 per set)
- Assists — Lexi Thatcher (10.11 per set)
- Aces — Addison Torain (0.5 per set)
- Digs — Addison Torain (3.69 per set)
- Blocks — Teagan Sychterz (0.88 per set)
Ohio State
Record: 2-3
Last Week: Lost both matches at the Big Ten/SEC Challenge in Norman, Okla., falling 3-1 to Ole Miss and 3-2 to Oklahoma
Preseason Poll: 16th of 18 in the Big Ten
Noteworthy: YSU is playing Ohio State for the first time since 2008. The Penguins are playing for the first time at the Covelli Center, not to be confused with the Covelli Centre in downtown Youngstown just south of YSU's campus. Both venues are named after Sam and Caryn Covelli and Covelli Enterprises, which is headquartered in nearby Warren, Ohio. The Covelli name is also on YSU's athletics complex that houses the YSU Softball Field and Farmers National Bank Field, the home for YSU's soccer, lacrosse and track and field teams.
Stat Leaders:
- Kills — Hannah Jones (3.20 per set)
- Assists — Mia Tuman (9.90 per set)
- Aces — Alia Schoonover (0.50 per set)
- Digs — Emily Avshalomov (3.65 per set)
- Blocks — Alia Schoonover (0.75 per set)
Penguins In Depth
YSU vs. Big Ten
Youngstown State's match against Ohio State on Sunday will be its first contest against a Big Ten opponent since playing at Michigan on Sept. 19, 2014. YSU last played the Buckeyes on Aug. 30, 2008, at St. John Arena in a tournament that also featured Xavier and Toledo. The Penguins are 0-4 all-time against Ohio State, with all four meetings coming between 2004 and 2008, including a home contest against the Buckeyes in 2006. Youngstown State is 0-14 all-time against Big Ten opponents, with the narrowest margin being a 3-2 loss to Iowa on the opening weekend of the 2013 season.
Records Fall in Season Opener
Two school records were set and another was tied in YSU's season-opening victory over Mercyhurst. As a team, YSU's 14 aces were the most in program history in a three-set, rally-scoring match, surpassing the previous mark of 11 at Canisius in 2022. Individually, Ava Prince tied the record for aces in a three-set, rally-scoring match with six, equaling the effort of teammate Brie Habeeb (2025) and Colleen Royer (2001). Ava Stratton set the individual record for hitting percentage in a match by hitting .857 with 12 kills on 14 attempts without an error.
Stratton Showing Improvement
Ava Stratton has made the biggest jump from last season among Youngstown State's returners. The sophomore right-side hitter is averaging 2.50 kills and 0.68 blocks per set while hitting .287 after six matches. In 2025, Stratton had 13 kills and one block over 13 sets. She began the season by hitting a school record .857 with 12 kills on 14 attempts without an error in a sweep of Mercyhurst.
Surratt Leading HL in Kills
Kylie Surratt has had an impressive first two weeks at Youngstown State. A junior outside hitter who transferred from UT-Martin in January, Surratt currently leads the Horizon League with 4.27 kills and 4.70 points per set while hitting .249. Her previous career highs came as a freshman for the Skyhawks when she averaged 2.98 kills and 3.34 points per set. Surratt's best match came against Marshall on Sept. 5 when she had 34 kills on 71 attempts in a five-setter. That was the highest kill total in the country that week and one kill shy of the YSU record.
Building on Last Season's Success
Youngstown State is a driven group with a large core of players returning from last season's squad that moved the program from last in the Horizon League preseason poll to the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament. Eight letterwinners and five players who started at least 14 matches last season are back with a mission to take another step forward in the third season under head coach Riley Jarrett. Three of those returners — Kameron Blizniak, Layne Graffice and Abbie Householder — earned All-Horizon League accolades in 2025.
The Penguins went 17-14 overall while winning a school-record 11 Horizon League matches in 2025, and they advanced to the semifinals of the Horizon League Championship for the first time since 2014. The 11 conference wins were the second most in program history and the most since the 1999 squad was 13-1 in the Mid-Continent Conference. YSU's highest win total in its first 24 years in the Horizon League was eight, set in 2022. Youngstown State was particularly strong inside Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center, posting a 10-4 record to tie the program record from 1999.
Contract Extension, New Titles Awarded for Coaching Staff
On the heels of last season's success, YSU head coach Riley Jarrett earned a three-year contract through June of 2029. Her extension was announced in July, and additional titles for assistant coaches Grace Wilson and Maddie Clayton were announced in February. Wilson is now also the Director of Operations, and Clayton is also the Recruiting Coordinator. The trio of Jarrett, Wilson and Clayton is entering its third season together on the Penguins bench.
In 2025, YSU posted a 17-14 overall record, which was an eight-win improvement from the year before and the most victories by the program since 2014. Youngstown State also won three more Horizon League matches than it had in any previous season since joining the conference in 2001.
Four Comprise Leadership Group
Youngstown State has a junior and three sophomores as its leaders this season as junior Ava Prince and sophomores Kameron Blizniak, Layne Graffice and Brie Habeeb comprise the leadership team. The group was elected by their teammates, and each member of the quartet is in a leadership role for the first time.
Strong Sophomore Class Looks for Second-Year Jump
Youngstown State's strong five-member sophomore class of Kameron Blizniak, Layne Graffice, Brie Habeeb, Izzy Henry and Ava Stratton is looking to provide the foundation for a solid 2026 and beyond. The group combined for 88 starts in 2025, and Blizniak and Graffice headlined the accomplishments by being named to the Horizon League All-Freshman Team. Blizniak started every match and set a new school record for the 25-point rally scoring era with 1,116 assists. Graffice was a six-rotation left side who averaged 2.67 kills and 2.60 digs per set in her freshman season.
Householder Returns After Record-Breaking 2025
Abbie Householder returns to the Penguins as a fifth-year senior after a record-breaking 2025 campaign. The outside hitter from nearby Canfield, Ohio, is YSU's career record holder with 1,453 kills and one of six players in program history with at least 1,000 career kills and 1,000 career digs. Her 1,326 digs rank second in YSU's career chart. Among her long list of accomplishments in 2025, she was an AVCA Honorable Mention All-American, the Horizon League Player of the Year, the YSU Female Student-Athlete of the Year and the Horizon League Female Fall Scholar-Athlete of the Season.
Penguins Add Three Division I Transfers in January
Youngstown State added experience before the 2026 spring semester as juniors Ashlee Gnau, Kylie Surratt and Wrigley Takats arrived from Division I institutions. Gnau, a defensive specialist, played in 34 matches over two seasons at Syracuse. Surratt had two prolific seasons as an outside hitter at UT-Martin, posting totals of 539 kills, 392 digs and 77 blocks while being named to the All-Ohio Valley Conference Second Team as a freshman. Takats, a middle blocker and right side hitter who arrived from Eastern Michigan, recorded 60 kills and 58 blocks as a sophomore.
Freshman Class of Five
Youngstown State has a talented and position-balanced class of five freshmen on this year's roster. The group includes pin hitter Natalie Carr, defensive specialist Journey Nicola, setter Hayden Rodriguez, and middle blockers Korina Barber and Makayla Keibler. Nicola, Rodriguez and Barber are Ohioans, and Carr and Keibler are from the Pittsburgh, Pa. area. Carr and Keibler were club teammates with Pittsburgh Elite Volleyball, and Nicola and Barber both played club ball with Mintonette.
Penguins Slotted Sixth in HL Preseason Poll
Youngstown State was selected to finish sixth in the Horizon League this season in a preseason poll of the conference's 11 head coaches. YSU received 68 points in the poll, which was just eight points behind fourth-place Milwaukee. Sixth place ties the highest preseason ranking for the Penguins since they joined the conference in 2001. The top eight teams in the regular season will advance to the Horizon League Volleyball Championship on Nov. 19-22.
AVCA Team Academic Award Regulars
Youngstown State earned the AVCA Team Academic Award for high achievement in the classroom for the 13th consecutive year during the 2025-26 campaign. YSU began the streak in 2013-14, and its 13-year run is tied for the longest streak in the Horizon League for maintaining a year-long grade-point average of at least 3.3 on a 4.0 scale. The Penguins registered a 3.411 team GPA during the 2025-26 academic year, posting a 3.329 in the fall and a 3.505 in the spring.
Up Next
Next week will be the final week of Youngstown State's nonconference schedule, and the Penguins will take on two opponents from the Mid-American Conference. YSU will play at Akron on Sept. 17 at 6 p.m., and it will host Kent State on Sept. 18 at 6 p.m. For news and updates throughout the season, follow the Penguins @ysuvolleyball on Instagram, Facebook and X.
