Householder gets national honor

YOUNGSTOWN — Abbie Householder (Canfield) was named the National Player of the Week by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, marking it the first time in the 51-year history of the Youngstown State volleyball program that a Penguin has earned the award.

Householder, who was named the Horizon League Player of the Week on Monday, is the third player in conference history to earn the award and the first since 2002.

“This is an amazing recognition for Abbie,” YSU head coach Riley Jarrett said. “She has worked so hard to get to where she is, and I’m so happy for her. We look forward to finishing our season strong.”

Householder averaged 7.17 kills per set, the fourth-most in the country, and 7.92 points per set in leading the Penguins to two wins over Purdue Fort Wayne. The senior outside hitter posted 43 kills in six sets, and her production came efficiently as she posted a .415 attack percentage and had kills on 52.4% of her 82 attempts.

Householder had 20 kills in 40 swings while hitting .375 in Thursday’s series opener. She then set a new school record for kills in a three-set, rally-scoring match with 23 on Friday. Her record-setting total came on 42 attempts, and she hit .452. Householder added 2.83 digs, 0.83 blocks and 0.33 aces per set last week.

Previously, the only two players in Horizon League history to be named National Player of the Week by the AVCA were Notre Dame’s Christy Peters on Sept. 26, 1993, and Wright State’s Karis Day on Sept. 9, 2002.

Cavs fined for resting Mitchell, Mobley

NEW YORK — The NBA fined the Cleveland Cavaliers $100,000 on Tuesday for violating the league’s player participation policy by resting both Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley against the Miami Heat on Nov. 12.

The league noted the policy adopted before the 2023-24 season was designed to promote participation in the NBA’s regular season.

Cleveland beat Miami 130-116 without Mitchell, a six-time All-Star, and Mobley, a first-time All-Star last season. The Cavaliers also were without All-Star Darius Garland, who aggravated his surgically repaired left toe in a game on Nov. 10.

Lowry, Broncos top Northern Illinois

DEKALB, Ill. — Jalen Buckley ran for 133 yards and two touchdowns, quarterback Broc Lowry (Canfield) ran for three touchdowns and Western Michigan rallied from an early deficit to beat Northern Illinois 35-19 on Tuesday night.

Buckley amassed his yardage total on 24 carries, Lowry ran 13 times for 100 yards and Devin Miles went over 100 yards for the first time in his career at 105.

Chavon Wright ran 21 times for 92 yards for Northern Illinois.

Lowry’s 18-yard scoring run a little past the midway point of the second quarter brought the Broncos (7-4, 6-1 Mid-American Conference) within 13-7.

Northern Illinois (3-8, 2-5) turned the ball over on downs after running six plays and gaining 20 yards. The Broncos followed that with a seven-play, 39-yard drive that ended when Buckley ran it in from the 8 with 40 seconds left before halftime for a 14-13 advantage.

Lowry ran it in from the 8 midway through the third to make it 21-13. Buckley and Lowry each added 1-yard TD runs in the fourth to seal it.

On the opening drive, Northern Illinois scored on a 43-yard touchdown run by Telly Johnson to give the Huskies a 7-0 lead. Two minutes later, Andrew Glass kicked a 39-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead.

Western Michigan snapped a three-game losing streak in the series. It was the final MAC match-up between the teams as NIU departs for the Mountain West Conference next season.

Kicker leads Zips past Bowling Green

BOWLING GREEN — Matthew Schramm kicked four field goals, including a career-long 48-yarder, and Jordan Gant rushed for 86 yards to lead Akron over Bowling Green 19-16 in the final game of the season for both teams on Tuesday night.

Gant finished with 1,032 on the season. Gant entered the game as the 13th-leading rusher (946 yards) in FBS football.

After either side exchanged field goals in the first and second quarters, Schramm made his career best to open the third for the Zips (5-7, 4-4 Mid-American).

The Falcons had the first touchdown when Hunter Najm found Jacob Harris for 21-yard strike at the 3:53 mark of the third.

The Zips responded with a 75-yard touchdown strike on the next play from scrimmage with Ben Finley finding Israel Polk.

The Falcons (3-8, 1-6) defense forced a stop on three downs with 2:12 remaining. A 15-yard return from Brennan Ridley set up the Falcons at the Akron 42-yard line, but Najm threw an interception to Bruno Dall with a minute remaining.

Gant broke free for an 18-yard carry to seal the result.

Bowling Green finished with 272 yards of offense. The Falcons entered averaging 300.3 yards per game, 128th in FBS football.

Both quarterbacks finished 9-of-26 passing with one touchdown. Finley had an interception. Najm threw two.

It was a second-to-last-place MAC finish in a debut season for Bowling Green’s Heisman Trophy-winning head coach, Eddie George. It’s a fourth consecutive losing season for Akron head coach Joe Moorhead.