Correspondent file photo / Robert Hayes. YSU senior outside hitter Abbie Householder goes for a kill during the Penguins’ win over Cleveland State on Nov. 6 at Zidian Family Arena.

YOUNGSTOWN — Abbie Householder is resigned to the fact that this week will be her final time playing a match on Rosselli Court at Zidian Family Arena.

Throughout her senior season, the outside hitter has been slowly checking off each of her “last firsts” for Youngstown State — her last first day of preseason, her last first home game and so forth.

Now in the Penguins’ regular season finale on Friday night against Purdue Fort Wayne, Householder will play the last home match of her college career on Senior Night.

“It’s definitely set in. It probably set in during preseason, so awhile ago,” the Canfield native said. “It’s kind of crazy that this week is going to be the last time I ever play in this gym, so it’s definitely bittersweet. I have a lot of amazing memories here, but it’s definitely sad to be over.”

When Householder walks off the court on Friday night, she’ll do so as one of the most decorated players to ever come through the program.

In addition to numerous accolades from the Horizon League throughout her career, Householder became just the sixth player in school history to record at least 1,000 career kills and 1,000 career digs during YSU’s five-set win over Siena on Sept. 6 at the Altoona Grand Red Flash Classic at Saint Francis (Pa.).

“I was only aware of it because my Dad is crazy about statistics,” Householder said with a chuckle. “After every game, he’s like, ‘Oh, you’re only this far…’ or ‘You only have 20 more…’ So I kind of knew I was going to get it the weekend that I did, just because he was counting down literally since the beginning of last year. He’s like, ‘You can get it your senior year.’ So that’s been my goal to reach both of those.”

Householder currently sits third in YSU’s record books in career kills with 1,341 and third in career digs with 1,255. She’s 67 kills away from the program record of 1,408 set by Vickie Robinson from 1996-99 and 240 digs away from the record of 1,495 set by Jill Raslevich from 1992-95.

“Honestly, I just feel so blessed that God has given me the talent and the capability of doing those things, even just being here, let alone being able to hit those milestones,” Householder said. “I’m thankful for the people — I couldn’t have done it without everyone else. I only get kills because of the setters, and they’re only able to set me because people get the digs up.”

Since reaching that milestone early in the season, Householder has been part of a significant turnaround for the Penguins this season under second-year head coach Riley Jarrett after a couple down years for the program.

Householder has helped provide experience and veteran leadership for a young squad with seven freshmen, two redshirt freshmen and three sophomores.

“It didn’t even feel like we were freshmen and seniors. It didn’t feel like we were older than them or like ‘better’ than them,” Householder said. “Genuinely, as cheesy as it sounds, it felt like a family and we were all just one big unit.”

Currently sitting at 14-13 overall with two games to go, plus the Horizon League tournament, the Penguins have put together their best season since 2022, when they went 14-16, and are on track for their first winning season since 2014, when they went 17-14.

“(The younger players) have bought in so much, and that’s definitely why we have done so well this year,” Householder said. “They’ve bought into our goals, our values, our standards and everything. If they wouldn’t have, this year would have looked completely different.”

With the growth that the program has made over the past year, Householder is confident that she’s leaving YSU in a better spot with Jarrett at the helm and the talented young crop of players coming through the ranks.

“I see so much potential, and they’re already so good,” Householder said. “They’re bought-in and they want to get better. They want to learn and they want to grow. So I see this program doing amazing things in the future.”

As a hometown star, Householder is fortunate enough to have had her family at most of her games throughout her YSU career.

During Senior Night festivities on Friday, she’ll be flanked by her family and will also have a sizable contingent of friends and extended family in the Beeghly Center stands supporting her.

“I give all the success to them because I have a very close-knit family,” Householder said. “There’s about 20 of us, so being close to home has been such a blessing. My parents have been at every single game other than, I think two, all four years. They’ve come to Florida, they’ve come to Wisconsin, they’ve come everywhere. It’s very overwhelming how blessed I am to have those people in my life and that support system, just knowing that even if I have the worst game of my life, they’re still going to be cheering me on.”