SPORTS DIGEST || YSU volleyball sets tourney, banquet

YSU volleyball sets tourney, banquet

YOUNGSTOWN

The Youngstown State volleyball team will conclude its spring schedule on Saturday with a home tournament at Stambaugh Stadium and a team banquet in Kilcawley Center.

The tournament will start at 9 a.m. and feature matches against Akron, Kent State and Hiram. Admission is free. It will be the last of four tournaments during YSU’s spring season.

The team banquet is open to the public and will be in the Ohio Room in Kilcawley Center. Dinner will begin at 6:30 p.m., and a short program will follow. Tickets cost $20. To reserve a ticket or sponsor a student-athlete’s meal, email head coach Mark Hardaway at mwhardaway@ysu.edu.

The Penguins have won 24 of the 37 sets they have played this spring. With lineup experimentation, YSU won five of its nine sets this past weekend in competition against Xavier, Kent State, Wheeling Jesuit and Wittenberg.

North-South Classic features area players

DAYTON

Warren Harding running back LeShun Daniels (an Iowa recruit), Niles OL Frank Saban, West Branch OL Connor Sharp and Struthers LB David Stewart will play for the Division I-II-III North squad in Saturday’s North-South Classic at Welcome Stadium. Struthers’ Curt Kuntz will serve as an assistant coach.

The game begins at 4 p.m., followed by the Division IV-V-VI game at 7.

Area players on the IV-V-VI North roster are Western Reserve WR Tim Cooper, Western Reserve OL Bryan Deal, Youngstown Christian DL KaeVon Green, Youngstown Christian OL Melvin Gregory, Brookfield RB Ryan Mosora, Ursuline OL Khallid Pierce and Ursuline WR Jermaine Williams. Brookfield’s Randy Clark is an assistant coach.

Canfield tennis event is May 4

CANFIELD

The Canfield High School tennis team will host the Cardinal Junior Varsity Invitational on May 4.

There will be several divisions of play.

Varsity and junior varsity players from OHSAA-sponsored schools or non-sanctioned teams/individuals may participate. For more information, contact Jerry Cannon at 330-385-6141 or 330-383-0348.

Haslam, Goodell chat about probe

NEW YORK

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says he met with Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam on Tuesday about the federal investigation into his family’s truck stop chain.

The FBI alleges widespread fraud of customers at Pilot Flying J, the country’s largest diesel retailer. Haslam has said he won’t step aside from the Browns or as the company’s CEO.

Asked at a pre-draft event Wednesday if he was concerned, Goodell said “of course when you have that type of thing.”

Goodell adds: “Jimmy’s doing everything he’s asked. He’s cooperating. He wants to make sure that he’s doing all the right things in that regard, and he’s assured us he’s going to.”

The NFL vets all prospective owners, but Goodell says the league couldn’t have known about the investigation before Haslam bought the team last year unless the FBI had chosen to share that information.

Penn State quarterback plans to transfer

STATE COLLEGE, Pa.

Penn State backup quarterback Steven Bench plans to transfer, a move that at least temporarily lessens the field for the starting job this fall.

Nittany Lions coach Bill O’Brien said Wednesday that Bench was granted a release to leave the program. He will finish the spring semester at Penn State.

Bench’s departure likely puts sophomore and junior college transfer Tyler Ferguson atop the depth chart for now. Bench and Ferguson split first-team reps in spring practice, which wrapped up last weekend.

Bench didn’t see much playing time as a freshman last season backing up record-setting senior Matt McGloin.

Staff/wire report