Sept. 26, 2009
Penguins Rally to Defeat UIC in Five Sets, Win Second In-A-Row
Youngstown -- Ruth Boscaljon had 24 kills, and Brittany Grove posted a career-high 17 kills as Youngstown State defeated UIC in five sets on Saturday at the Beeghly Center.
The Penguins were down two sets to one before winning the final two 25-21 and 15-11. YSU won for the second straight day to even its Horizon League record at 2-2.
"The team is playing with more emotion and passion than we started off with," head coach Joe Bonner said. "It's been a complete team effort. The community has come out with tremendous support, and we are very thankful."
Boscaljon had 20 kills against Loyola on Friday evening and finished with 44 total in the two matches. She also hit .548 in the two matches and collected 11 blocks. She had 20 kills in back-to-back matches for the second time in her career, a feat she also accomplished as a freshman.
"Ruth has taken her game to another level," Boscaljon said. "She surpassed individual goals in both matches this weekend."
Grove has also been on a hot streak and has at least 13 kills in four straight matches.
Laurie Shives had 24 digs, Brittany Holland had 14, and the Penguins withstood 10 aces by the Flames.
"Our back row has been incredible defensively with the amount of court they are covering," Bonner added.
UIC, which also committed nine serving errors, had four players reach double figures in kills. Casie Sullivan had a team-high 15, and Epiphany Davis had her 10 kills in just 14 attempts.
The Penguins led early in each of the first two sets, but UIC was able to rally from an early six-point hole in the first set to manage a split. UIC called a timeout when it trailed 8-2 in the first set, and it scored 11 of the next 13 points to go ahead 13-10. A Boscaljon kill cut the lead to one at 15-14, but UIC extended its lead to 20-15 and won 25-19.
YSU then scored seven straight points to open up a 7-1 lead in the second set on Haley Kapferer's kill. The Guins led by as many as 12 twice in the set en route to a 25-16 win to even the match.
UIC was the fast-starter in the third set, taking a 6-2 lead on Lana Lobdell's ace. YSU was never able to take the lead, but the Penguins tied the score at 14 after a 5-1 run. UIC answered with a 7-1 run to go up 21-15 and won 25-19.
The fourth set featured 12 ties and four lead changes, the end score of 25-21 was the largest margin. UIC's led 9-8 early, and Boscaljon's kill capped a four-point run that put YSU ahead 12-9. UIC tied the set twice before taking its final lead at 18-17 on a block by Lobdell and Kelsey Safranek. Grove and Boscaljon returned the favor and blocked Safranek on the next rally, and YSU went on to open up a 20-18 lead. Lobdell's kill got the Flames within one, but YSU scored five of the final seven points to take the set.
The Penguins never trailed in the fifth set, and UIC's last tie came at 6-6 on a Sullivan kill. The Penguins had kills on three straight points - two by Kapferer - to go ahead 9-6, and UIC got no closer than two the rest of the way.
YSU will play its first Horizon League road match next week when it plays at Milwaukee on Friday at 8 p.m.