Youngstown State University
2-4,0-0Horizon
Marshall
5-1,0-0Sun Belt
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Youngstown St. | 22 | 25 | 27 | 23 | 13 | 2 |
| Marshall | 25 | 20 | 25 | 25 | 15 | 3 |
Surratt One Kill Shy of YSU Record in Five-Set Loss to Marshall
9/5/2026 4:50:00 PM | Volleyball
Indianapolis, Ind. — Kylie Surratt posted 34 kills, the second-highest total for a match in Youngstown State history, but the Penguins fell in five sets to Marshall on Saturday afternoon. The set scores at IU Indy's The Jungle were 25-22, 20-25, 25-27, 25-23, 15-13.
Surratt's 34 kills were the most since Paula Gursching's 35-kill effort at Northern Kentucky in 2022. YSU's junior outside hitter from St. Louis, Mo., had 71 attempts, 16 fewer than Gursching's total at NKU, 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 on 11 swings in the fifth.
In addition to Surratt's impressive stat line, Abbie Householder recorded a double-double with 10 kills and 21 digs, and Kameron Blizniak registered 63 assists and 14 digs as YSU used a 5-1 offense exclusively for the first time this season. Ava Stratton set new career highs with 16 kills and five blocks. The Penguins now have a 2-4 record after two weeks of the 2026 season.
Marshall improved to 5-1 with its victory and finished unbeaten in three matches in Indianapolis. Madde Smith paced the Thundering Herd with 18 kills and 15 digs, and Beatrice Ciccarelli was right behind her with 17 kills while adding five blocks.
The match was tight throughout most of the day with 45 ties and 15 lead changes, and each of the final three sets was decided by two points.
Stratton had four kills, and Izzy Henry registered four blocks in the opening set as Marshall scored three of the final four points to hold on for a 25-22 win. YSU finished with five blocks in the opening set but had just three over the final four sets, but Surratt made up for that on the offensive end.
Surratt connected for kills on nine of her 14 attempts in the second set, and she had seven kills in an eight-point stretch when the Penguins trailed 17-16. Her final kill of the set put YSU ahead 23-18, and a Blizniak ace and a Stratton kill accounted for the Penguins' final two points of the set.
Marshall opened up a 10-5 lead in the third set, but the Penguins responded behind Henry's serve to tie the score at 10. Neither team led by more than two the rest of the set, which saw 17 ties before the Penguins prevailed 27-25. A Householder kill fought off a set point with YSU trailing 24-23, and Surratt finished the set with consecutive kills.
The Herd jumped out to an 8-3 lead in the fourth, and it was able to hold off the Penguins for a 25-23 win. YSU tied the score at 20, 22 and 23, the final time coming on a Stratton kill, but Marshall had kills on the next two points to knot the match.
Youngstown State's only lead in the fifth set was 1-0 on a Surratt kill, and Marshall scored the next three points to go up 3-1. The Herd held the advantage until Stratton and Korina Barber blocked Ciccarelli to tie the score at 13-13, but Marshall closed out the five-set victory with a kill by Carys Kerr and a block by Emma Barnett and Ciccarelli.
The Penguins will continue their non-conference schedule next week with three matches at Ohio State's Sports Imports Classic. Youngstown State will play Southern Indiana on Sept. 11 at 3 p.m., Winthrop on Sept. 12 at 1 p.m., and Ohio State on Sunday at 2 p.m.
For more information on the Penguins throughout the 2026 campaign, fans can follow the program on Instagram, X and Facebook @ysuvolleyball.
