Youngstown State senior outside hitter Abbie Householder was named the Horizon League Player of the Year on Thursday.

The Canfield native was also named the conference Offensive Player of the Year and first team All-Horizon League.

Three other Penguins were named to the conference’s first team. They were Gabriela Machin, Kameron Blizniak and Layne Graffice.

The postseason honors were voted on by the league’s head volleyball coaches.

“We are so proud of the conference recognition of Abbie, Gabby, Kam, and Layne!” YSU head coach Riley Jarrett said in a press release. “These four have been a huge part of our success and growth on and off the court this season.”

Householder became the third Penguin to be named conference player of the year. Jill Raslevich was the Mid-Continent Conference Player of the Year in 1995, and Paula Gursching earned the honor from the Horizon League in 2022.

At the end of the regular season, she led the Horizon League with 4.14 kills and 4.67 points per set while ranking fourth with 0.31 aces per set. She also ranked ninth with a .278 hitting percentage and 12th with 3.04 digs per set, and she led the Penguins in serve receives. She was a two-time Horizon League Player of the Week, and she is the reigning AVCA National Player of the Week.

“For Abbie to receive the respect and nod from the coaches in the league for her performance is huge,” Jarrett said. “She has worked so hard to get to where she is. In my opinion, she has been one of — if not the best — in the conference all year, and we are so grateful she is a Penguin.”

Previously, Householder was named to the Horizon League All-Freshman team in 2022 and a second-team honoree in 2024. She became the third YSU volleyball player to be an All-Horizon League selection twice.

The Penguins are competing in the conference tournament at Northern Kentucky.

YSU, the third seed, defeated sixth-seeded Green Bay 3-2 on Friday night. The Penguins will face No. 2 Green Bay at 6 p.m. tonight with a chance to play in the conference championship on Sunday.