Youngstown State University
2-2,0-0Horizon
Butler
3-1,0-0Big East
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Youngstown St. | 19 | 12 | 21 | 0 |
| Butler | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Big Runs Doom Penguins in 3-0 Loss at Butler
9/3/2026 8:50:00 PM | Volleyball
Indianapolis, Ind. — Butler went on key runs in the first and third sets and defeated Youngstown State's volleyball team 3-0 on Thursday evening at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
The Penguins, playing their first road match of the season, fall to 2-2 while Butler improves to 3-1. The set scores against the Bulldogs were 25-19, 25-12, 25-21.
Ava Stratton led the Penguins in scoring with six kills and two blocks, and Abbie Householder finished with five kills.
Butler's Elise Ward posted a match-high 12 kills, and Carly Slusser laced nine kills on 11 attempts without an error. The Bulldogs held a 50-22 edge in kills and hit .324 in the match.
There were 12 ties and one lead change in the opening set, and the score was tied as late as 18-18 following a Butler serving error. Zoe McDonald had a kill for a sideout, and the Bulldogs closed the set on a 7-1 run.
Butler scored seven of the first nine points of the second set and pulled away for a 25-12 win to take a 2-0 lead in the match. Youngstown State countered by taking a 7-0 lead and later led 15-7 in the third, but the Bulldogs regrouped at the technical timeout and rallied. Butler caught the Penguins at 16-16 on a Slusser kill, and YSU's final lead came at 18-17. Butler closed the night on an 8-4 burst.
Youngstown State will play two more matches on its road trip to Indianapolis. The Penguins will play Ohio on Friday at 1 p.m. at Hinkle Fieldhouse, with live video on Butler's Athletics Facebook page.
For more information on the Penguins throughout the season, follow @ysuvolleyball on Instagram, Facebook and X.
