SPORTS digest

Mount Union athlete killed by falling tree

CANTON

Authorities say an 18-year-old woman has been killed and her father injured when a large tree fell on their car during an Ohio rainstorm.

The Canton Repository reports the woman has been identified as Sydney Kleptach, of Plain Township. The freshman goalkeeper on the University of Mount Union women’s soccer team died Monday at a hospital following the Sunday afternoon accident.

Her father, 48-year-old Brian Kleptach, was hospitalized after a large tree uprooted and fell onto the car he was driving in Plain Township, 55 miles south of Cleveland.

Major C.J. Stantz of the Stark County Sheriff’s Office says a combination of wind and rain-soaked soil likely caused the tree to fall at the exact moment the car traveled beneath it.

YSU volleyball loses to Robert Morris

Moon Township, Pa.

The Youngstown State volleyball team dropped a 3-1 decision to Robert Morris on Tuesday night at the North Athletic Complex.

YSU (6-5) dropped the first two sets - 25-23 and 25-15 - before winning the third, 26-24. The Colonials (4-7) earned the victory with a 25-15 fourth-set win.

In the first set, YSU rallied from a 17-9 deficit to pull within 20-19 on a block by Valor Haggerty and Giovanna Kuntze. The Penguins were within one on two other occasions at 22-21 and 23-22 and at 24-22, a Sarah Varcollakill kept the Penguins in the set. However, a kill by RMU’s Emma Granger ended the set.

In the second set the contest was tied 2-2 before RMU went on a 12-3 scoring run to open a 14-5 advantage. The Guins stopped the run by scoring the next three points and was able to get as close as 17-11 on an ace by Kuntze. RMU scored the next four points en route to grabbing a 2-0 lead.

In the third the Penguins had to fit off two match points to extend the match to a fourth frame. .

YSU softball announces schedule

Youngstown State softball Head Coach Brian Campbell announced the Penguins’ 2019 schedule, a slate of 56 games and four in-season tournaments, on Monday afternoon.

The Penguins will play their first 22 games on the road and open the campaign with four games at the USC-Upstate Tournament, Feb. 8-9. The Penguins will face East Carolina and Towson on Feb. 8 and Miami (Ohio) and USC-Upstate on Feb. 9.

Patriots sign Corey Coleman

FOXBOROUGH, MASS.

The New England Patriots signed former Cleveland Browns first-round draft choice Corey Coleman on Tuesday.

Coleman was drafted in 2016, but was traded to to the Buffalo Bills in training camp this year. Coleman failed to make the Bills’ 53-man roster.

Texas A&M named most valuable program

Texas A&M has supplanted Texas as America’s most valuable college football program.

Forbes magazine on Tuesday released its list of most valuable college football programs based on estimate averages for profits and revenue for the 2014, ’15 and ’16 seasons. Texas had held the top spot, drawing $100 million in revenue in 2011 and $92 million in profit alone in 2014.

A&M’s rise was attributed to an increase in athletic department contributions, along more ticket revenue and conference revenue from the Southeastern Conference.

Texas A&M brought in $148 million in revenue and made $107 million in profit, according to Forbes’ estimates. Texas made $133 million in revenue and $87 million in profit, while Michigan was third at $127 million and $75 million.

Alabama and Ohio State round out the top five.

Staff/wire report