Youngstown, Ohio – The Duquesne University volleyball team opened its 2025 season in dominant fashion at the YSU Invitational on Friday, earning back-to-back sweeps. The Dukes started the day with a 3-0 win over Canisius before closing out with a straight-set victory against host Youngstown State. With the pair of sweeps, Duquesne moved to 2-0 to start the season.

MATCH 1 vs. CANISIUS
Duquesne capitalized on a shaky hitting performance by Canisius in the opening set, rolling to a 25-17 victory. After splitting the first four points, the Dukes surged ahead with a 10-3 run to build a 12-5 lead. Sophomore Emersen Schrom fueled the stretch with three kills, while senior Ariel Helm and junior Chloe Wilmot also contributed on the attack. Following a Canisius point, Duquesne extended its lead with an 8-4 spurt, pushing the margin to 20-9. Four different Dukes recorded kills during the run, highlighted by two more from Schrom. The Golden Griffins managed to cut the deficit to 22-14, but a Schrom service ace followed by a Canisius error sealed the set, giving the Dukes an early 1-0 lead in the match.

CLEAN SWEEP
Set two was a back-and-forth battle until Canisius grabbed a 9-6 lead. Duquesne quickly answered with a 5-2 run to even the score at 11-11. The surge began with a kill from Schrom, followed by a swing and an ace from freshman Karli Jordan. Junior Jordan Robertson then teamed up with Schrom for a block before a Canisius error and another Schrom point capped the rally. Later, with the score tied at 18-all, the Dukes closed out the frame on a decisive 7-3 run to take a 2-0 match lead. Robertson led the charge with three kills, while senior Carsyn Henschen added two more. Duquesne hit .341 in the set, sealing a 25-21 victory.

The Dukes carried that momentum into the third, jumping out to a 14-8 advantage. Canisius responded with four straight points to close the gap to 14-12, but Duquesne countered with a 5-1 spurt fueled by two Schrom kills and a swing from Henschen. The Golden Griffins battled back once more, taking seven of the next eight points to tie it at 20-20. From there, Duquesne found its finishing touch, ending the match on a 5-1 run highlighted by three consecutive kills from Jordan. The Dukes claimed the set, 25-21, and completed the sweep.

1K CLUB
Coming into the match, senior Madison Grimm needed just six digs to eclipse the 1,000 mark for her career—and she wasted no time reaching the milestone. The defensive specialist recorded four digs in the opening set before surpassing the benchmark early in the second. Grimm went on to lead the Dukes with 13 digs in the season opener while also contributing two assists. She tallied five digs in the second set and added four more in the third, finishing the night with 1,007 career digs. With the achievement, the Ohio native becomes one of just 15 players in Duquesne history to join the 1,000-dig club, entering the Dukes' next match against Youngstown State in elite company.

INSIDE THE STAT SHEET
Two Dukes reached double figures in kills, led by sophomore Emersen Schrom, who narrowly missed a double-double with 15 kills and nine digs to go along with three blocks and two service aces. Freshman Karli Jordan made the most of her collegiate debut, recording her first career double-double with 10 kills and 10 digs while hitting an impressive .435 and adding three assists. Senior Carsyn Henschen chipped in nine kills and two digs, while fellow senior Ariel Helm posted seven kills, three blocks, and a .308 hitting percentage. Junior setter Chloe Wilmot directed the offense with 39 assists, five digs, and three kills of her own. On the defensive end, senior Maggie Colenbrander matched her career high with 10 digs and added an assist.

MATCH 2 vs. YSU
In a match that featured 16 ties and six lead changes, the Dukes battled back and forth with YSU in the opening set before pulling out an impressive 36-34 victory. The Penguins held a 24-21 edge, but Duquesne responded with four straight points, highlighted by a pair of kills from Jordan and a swing from Schrom, to take a 25-24 lead. The teams continued to trade blows, finding themselves tied again at 33-33, until Robertson delivered back-to-back kills to clinch the set. The second stanza opened with the squads splitting the first 14 points, but the Dukes gained control with an 8-3 run to go up 15-10. Robertson and Henschen each tallied kills during the stretch, while Wilson and Grimm added service aces to fuel the surge. After the media timeout, Duquesne extended its advantage by taking six of the next eight points, pushing the lead to 21-12. Schrom contributed two more kills, while the Dukes registered three blocks, Helm factoring into each. YSU mounted a late push with an 8-3 run to close the gap, but Jordan sealed the set for Duquesne with a decisive kill, giving the Dukes a 25-20 win.

THE SWEEP
In the third set, both teams struggled offensively, combining for several errors while trading four ties. Duquesne struck first, racing out to a 12-4 lead behind a balanced attack, as Jordan and Helm each recorded two kills and Wilmot and Schrom added one apiece. YSU responded midway through the set, finding its rhythm with a 12-5 run that trimmed the deficit to 17-16 and forced a Duquesne timeout. The Penguins continued their push, eventually tying the score at 21-all, but the Dukes answered by winning four of the final six points to secure the sweep with a 25-23 win. Duquesne capitalized on back-to-back YSU hitting errors before surrendering a point on a service miscue. Robertson then delivered a clutch kill to earn match point, and after YSU briefly extended the set with a kill of its own, Helm sealed the victory with a decisive solo block to close out the match.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Three Dukes finished with double-digit kills, led by Emersen Schrom, who posted 13 kills to go along with eight digs and three service aces. Karli Jordan added 11 kills, two digs, and a block, while Jordan Robertson matched her with 11 kills, three blocks, and an efficient .318 hitting percentage. Running the offense, Chloe Wilmot notched her first double-double of the season, dishing out 39 assists and collecting 13 digs. Madison Grimm also highlighted her milestone night with 13 digs, three assists, and a service ace, while Ariel Helm anchored the defense at the net with a team-high eight blocks to go along with six kills.

UP NEXT
Duquesne concludes the YSU Invitational on Saturday, August 30, when it battles Mercyhurst at 12:00 p.m.