YSU Volleyball Sweeps Fairleigh Dickenson For First Win

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The Youngstown State volleyball team earned its first win of the season by defeating Fairleigh Dickinson in straight sets on Saturday morning at UMBC’s Maddie Bingaman Memorial Tournameng.

Sophomore Missy Hundelt (St. Charles, Mo.) posted 10 kills and three aces, and sophomore setter Casey D’Ambrose (Addison, Ill.) had 30 assists and 12 digs. YSU won 25-22, 25-21, 26-24.

Alexis Egler (Clarkston, Mich.) and Shannon Watson (Zoarville, Ohio) added seven kills apiece for YSU, which snapped a 28-match losing streak dating back to Sept. 11, 2010.

Meaghan Wheeler had 13 kills for Fairleigh Dickinson, which had won five straight matches. Last night, the Knights swept Norfolk State, who YSU will play this afternoon at 4.

The Penguins battled through 27 ties and 11 lead changes in the match, and they trailed by as many as four in the opening set. They took their first lead since 6-5 when D’Ambrose and Nichele Johnson combined for a block to make the score 19-18. An Erika West (Painesville, Ohio) ace capped a 13-5 run by YSU that gave it a 23-19 lead. Hundelt’s third kill of the set came on set point.

YSU led 9-2 early in the second set, but FDU scored seven straight points to tie the score on a kill from Wheeler. Another Wheeler kill tied the score at 19-19, but a serving error and back-to-back kills from Jackie Carlisle (Hubbard, Ohio) and Watson gave the Guins a 22-19 lead. A Hundelt kill also finished the second set.

YSU led 10-7 in the third before having to rally from four three-point deficits, including 22-19. Hundelt’s ace tied the score at 23-23, and a Brittany Grove (Mansfield, Ohio) kill gave the Penguins a match point. Hundelt’s serving error accounted for a side out, but YSU scored the next two points on an attack error and bad set.

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