Oct. 5, 2007

Volleyball Comes Back to Defeat Loyola in Five Games

    Youngstown -- Led by senior Jessica Fraley's 21 kills, 10 digs and six blocks and sophomore Ruth Boscaljon's 16 kills, the Youngstown State volleyball team (8-10, 2-5 Horizon League) won its second straight five-game victory and came back to defeat Loyola (4-14, 1-6 Horizon League) 18-30, 30-26, 17-30, 30-12, 17-15 on Friday evening at the Beeghly Center.

    The win marks the first time the Penguins have won consecutive matches against Horizon League foes since joining the league in 2001.

    After dropping game one, 30-18, the Penguins jumped out to a 5-1 lead in game two and lead by as many as nine points, 21-12, after a kill from Fraley. Loyola, though, rallied and to trim the deficit to 29-26 but a kill by junior Ebony Barbosa, who recorded a double-double with 11 kills and 20 digs, gave the Penguins a 30-26 win in the second stanza.

    The Penguins trailed two-game-to-one after dropping game three, 17-30. However, Fraley posted five kills and the Penguins hit a collective .357 in game four to force a fifth game with a 30-12 win.

   In the deciding game, the Ramblers trailed 14-11 but staved off four match points before Fraley, who recorded five kills in game five, ended the match with her 20th and 21st kills of the match.

    The Penguins host UIC, Saturday, Oct. 6, at 2 p.m. at the Beeghly Center.