YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - The IUPUI volleyball team showed stretches of strong play, but ultimately couldn't overcome Youngstown State as the host Penguins dumped the Jaguars in four sets, 25-22, 25-21, 22-25, 25-20. Freshman Briana Brown matched her career-high with 21 kills and freshman Addie Evans had a career-best 25 digs in the defeat. 

Setter Brooke Phillips had a season-high 47 assists to go along with 14 digs and six kills on Sunday (Oct. 3). Paula Gursching led Youngstown State (4-11, 1-3 HL) with 18 kills and 11 digs and Reilly Seagroves had 22 digs for the Penguins. 

In the opening set, YSU built an early 10-5 lead with setter Lexie Beeke at the service line. The Jags got back within three on kills from Brown and Sidney Veatch, but YSU responded with back-to-back kills and kept IUPUI at arm's length. The lead ballooned to seven before IUPUI charged hard to make things interesting. Corrissa Remter and Atlantis Clendenin had late kills, the latter of which made it 24-22. However, Gursching sealed the set with a kill of her own. 

IUPUI hit .316 in the opener, but had no answer for YSU as the hosts hit .412 and committed just two errors. 

IUPUI (2-15, 0-6 HL) had an early 4-1 lead in the second set and the teams traded points for much of the set. The Jags built a 21-18 lead late, but were unable to get to the finish line. The one and only lead change of the set came when YSU moved in front at 22-21 as part of seven straight Penguin points that capped a 25-21 win. Brown had seven kills and hit .400 for the set, but YSU hit .343 as a team with Gursching putting down six kills and Nadia Pace adding five on 10 attempts. 

In the third, IUPUI went down 7-2 before battling back to take a 10-9 lead, thanks in part to Rhiannon Schuenemann. The fifth-year senior served up four points, including an ace and added a kill of her own during the run. Later with Schuenemann at the service line, IUPUI reeled off two key points to take a 21-18 lead. Brown came through with a critical kill for a side out and IUPUI was able to finish the set, 25-22. 

IUPUI went down big in the fourth and never recovered as YSU built an early 9-2 lead and never looked back. The Jags cut the lead within five on numerous occasions, but got no closer as YSU was content to trade points with a commanding lead. Ultimately, YSU closed off a 25-20 win. 

YSU hit .272 and minimized errors, making just 13 attack errors and eight service errors. IUPUI had more kills (56-53) than the Penguins, but committed 28 attack errors in hitting .173. Schuenemann led IUPUI with three aces and Phillips and Evans had two each. 

IUPUI will continue a stretch of five straight matches away from home next week when the Jaguars face Wright State (Oct. 8) and Northern Kentucky (Oct. 9) in league play.