FAIRBORN, Ohio - Green Bay volleyball never faltered in a four-set win against the Youngstown State Penguins Friday afternoon in the HL Championship quarterfinals. Alexandra Zakutney paced Green Bay, finishing with a game-high 22 kills and accumulating a hitting percentage of .472, while Shannon Coughlin added 13 kills. Defensively, Annelise Sparks chipped in with a match-high 19 digs, and Angie Gromos tallied seven blocks.
Tournament Central | HL Championship Bracket
HOW IT HAPPENED
SET 1 | The opening set brought a back-and-forth battle. Both teams would string together runs early in the frame, but it was a 6-2 run by Youngstown State to end the set that made the difference, handing GB a 21-25 loss. Zakutney was dominant from the start, totaling seven kills in the stanza and scoring three of GB's first five points.
SET 2 | Green Bay would respond in set number two, and after taking an early 4-3 lead, the Phoenix would never let YSU pull within three again. Calli Gentry filled the box score, racking up two service aces, 10 assists, and one kill. Coughlin had three kills, while Gromos recorded two kills and paired up with Zakutney on an important block at the outset, helping the Phoenix tie the match at 1-1.
SET 3 | GB built on their set two success, blowing past Youngstown State for a 25-14 set victory. As they did in the first and second sets, the Phoenix scored first. YSU kept it close in the beginning, and an Abbie Householder kill would put the Penguins within two. Green Bay would answer and go on an 8-3 spurt, extending their lead by eight at 18-10. The Phoenix was assisted by seven Penguin attack errors and would finish off YSU by scoring seven of the last 11 points, taking a 2-1 advantage.
SET 4 | The Penguins would continue to fight, and a Dayan Malave kill would tie the fourth set at seven. Both squads would ensue with a run, first by Green Bay, who scored five in a row thanks to kills by Coughlin and Cora Behnke, an Abby Gardner service ace, and two YSU attack errors. Youngstown State responded with four in a row, bringing the deficit back to one. A 6-2 run would give GB an 18-13 lead, but the Penguins would not be denied. YSU ripped off seven of the next nine points, tying the set at 20 after Isidora Sisic converted two service aces. The Phoenix would fight back, with Coughlin carrying the clutch gene with two kills down the line. Coughlin, a senior, slammed the door shut with a kill, giving GB a 25-23 set win and a 3-1 match win.
GAME NOTES
» Green Bay attackers combined to hit .357 in the match.
» Calli Gentry had a team-high two aces in the win.
» The Phoenix never trailed in the second or third set.
» GB attackers were helped by a match-high 53 assists from Calli Gentry.
» Youngstown State had 131 attacks to GB's 129.
COMING UP
Green Bay will face no. 2-seeded Northern Kentucky tomorrow at 5 p.m. in the Horizon League Championship semifinal. The Phoenix went 1-1 in the regular season against the Norse, sweeping NKU on the road and falling 1-3 at home. Watch the game here on ESPN+ and follow the action with live stats.
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