Brie Habeeb has been the voice of the Gilmour back row for the past two seasons. She’s guided the Lancers’ receiving game and has been the top Libero in the area. After bookending her career with state championships, Habeeb took her time in making her college decision. Ultimately, all signs pointed to Youngstown State as the right decision. That makes Habeeb the fourth area athlete who will suit up for the Penguins next season. Kenston graduates Julia Sell and Maria Insana enter their fourth and third seasons with the team, while Brush alum Niyah Lester recently transferred in from Ball State. Related Articles News-Herald boys basketball Top of the Crop for Jan. 2 Toledo Central Catholic vs. Gilmour boys basketball: Lancers surge back against Irish, but can’t complete comeback in 68-64 defeat PHOTOS: Gilmour vs. Toledo Central Catholic boys basketball, Dec. 31, 2024 News-Herald girls basketball Top of the Crop for Dec. 31 News-Herald hockey Top of the Crop for Dec. 30 Last season, the Penguins had four players finish with 200 digs with Insana five short of joining the club. Habeeb has finished the past two seasons with 583 and 499 digs, respectively, and can bolster a strong Youngstown State defense. “Youngstown State was the right choice for me because of the welcoming atmosphere that the girls gave me,” Habeeb said. “I enjoyed how they were hardworking and committed within volleyball and lifting as well as their schoolwork.” Habeeb’s recruitment journey was a little different in that she went through the whole season before committing. Her Lancers teammates like Mi-Na Diggs (Villanova), Kayla Channell (Coastal Carolina) and Cara Riley (Walsh) all made their commitments before the season. Diggs and Riley were also part of the back row with Habeeb. Habeeb said once the season started, a lot of the interest would die off and not start back up until the season ended. “Well, recruiting was never easy for me,” Habeeb said. “I was talking to three colleges this past summer but none of them worked out when the high school season fully started. After our state title is actually when I started talking to YSU. We scheduled a visit and they offered me.” Playing at Gilmour helped her prepare for the transition to the next level. The biggest change will be adjusting to the challenges of the Horizon League. No one team looked like a dominant force during the regular season. Top-seeded Wright State didn’t advance to the conference championship and third seed Cleveland State advanced to the NCAA tournament. Habeeb said the feeling of any team winning on any day will take some getting used to, but she is excited for that challenge. “I definitely think that Gilmour volleyball has sculpted me to be ready for hard work,” Habeeb said. “At Youngstown State, we will have to do lots of conditioning and Gilmour helped with that completely.” The biggest question for Habeeb is what position she’ll play. Youngstown State has no Libero listed on its roster as all players are listed as defensive specialists. But she is confident that position change or not, she can immediately make a difference. “If my YSU position is a DS I will be ready for it,” Habeeb said. “I played DS for 2 years at Gilmour and a year with JO. I will have to challenge myself to be versatile for the positions given to me.”