CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland State women's basketball team will open the 2022-23 season with an exhibition contest on Tuesday, October 25, hosting Ursuline in the Wolstein Center. Tuesday's exhibition contest is slated for a 7:00 p.m. tipoff.
#HLWBB Preseason Poll | Complete Poll
Earlier this month, Cleveland State was selected to finish third in the #HLWBB Preseason Poll, picking up 102 points and one first place vote. This marks the highest preseason finish for the Vikings since the 2014-15 campaign.
Leo Named #HLWBB Preseason Player Of The Year
Cleveland State junior Destiny Leo was honored by the Horizon League earlier this month, as she was selected as the #HLWBB Preseason Player of the Year. Leo is the fourth Viking to be selected as the league's preseason player of the year, and the first since Kailey Klein earned the honor prior to the 2009-10 campaign. Leo returns as Cleveland State's leading scorer from a season ago, averaging 18.7 points per game to lead the league and rank 38th nationally, while she also paced the league in three-pointers (73) and three-point field goal percentage (.390).
The 2022-23 Vikings | Complete Roster
Cleveland State returns nine letterwinners from last season's team that earned a spot in the #HLWBB Championship game and made the WBI Finals for the second straight year. In addition, Cleveland State welcomes four newcomers – three transfers and one true freshman.
The 2022-23 Schedule | Complete Schedule
Cleveland State will officially kickoff the 2022-23 season on Monday, November 7 when the Vikings travel to Iowa State for a 12:00 p.m. EST contest. This will be the first of 11 non-league games for the Vikings during the 2022-23 campaign, with Cleveland State also slated to play 20 #HLWBB games throughout the season. The Vikings official home opener will be Saturday, November 12, when they welcome Hofstra to the Wolstein Center.
Head Coach Chris Kielsmeier
The Vikings will be under the direction of fifth-year head coach Chris Kielsmeier, who enters the 2022-23 campaign with a career head coaching record of 482-165. Through his first four seasons at Cleveland State, Kielsmeier has led the Vikings to a 66-49 overall record, including a pair of 20-win seasons over the last three years. Last year, Kielsmeier guided the Vikings to their second straight postseason appearance, and sixth in program history.
A Look Back At 2021-22…
Cleveland State combined for a 23-9 record last season, marking the fourth 20-win campaign in program history and the second over the last three years. The Vikings advanced to the #HLWBB Semifinals for the third straight year, while their championship game appearance marked the first time that Cleveland State was playing for the tournament title since the 2009-10 season. The Vikings closed out the year with their second straight trip to the WBI, advancing to the championship game in back-to-back seasons.