Nov. 2, 2009

Guins Look to Get Back to Winning Ways in Non-Conference Matches

Youngstown -- The Youngstown State volleyball team will play its first non-conference matches since Sept. 20 when it welcomes Akron and West Virginia to campus this week.

The Penguins will entertain the Zips at the Beeghly Center for the first time since 1996 on Tuesday at 7 p.m. YSU will play the Mountaineers for the ninth straight season on Sunday at 2 p.m. in the final home match of the year.

YSU enters the week looking to return to the success it enjoyed when it won four out of five matches just over a month ago. The Penguins have lost six of seven matches since that time, including both matches this past weekend against Green Bay and Milwaukee.

The Penguins' 5-9 Horizon League record still ranks sixth in the Horizon League standings, just ahead of Green Bay's 4-8 mark and Loyola's 4-9 ledger. YSU owns the tiebreaker against Loyola by winning both matches against the Ramblers during the regular season. Green Bay holds the tiebreaker against YSU for the same reason. YSU has already matched its school record for Horizon League victories in a season. The rest of the league will continue its conference slate this weekend.

YSU will be looking for its first win over Akron since 1985 on Tuesday evening. The Zips hold a 40-7 lead in the all-time series in a series dating back to 1977. The teams have played just twice since 1997 - in 2005 and 2006 - and Akron has won both of those in straight sets. The Penguins have beaten West Virginia three straight seasons, including a five-set win against the Mountaineers the last time the programs met in Beeghly Center in 2007.

After their two non-conference matches this week, the Penguins will wrap up the regular season with two more Horizon League matches the following weekend. YSU will play at Cleveland State on Nov. 13 and at Wright State on Nov. 14.