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QUICK SETS
Top-seeded Cleveland State (21-6, 13-1) is set to host the 2012 Horizon League Championship this weekend, and will begin play in a semifinal contest at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday (Nov. 17). The Vikings will face the lowest remaining seed that advances out of the first round, with a trip to Sunday's championship match on the line. CSU earned the honor of hosting the championship after clinching the regular season title with a 13-1 mark in league play.
THE TOURNAMENT FIELD
No. 1 Cleveland State (21-6, 13-1) enters the weekend on an 11-match win streak and will begin play during the semifinal round.
No. 2 UIC (18-12, 10-4) enters the tournament having won five out of its past six matches. The Flames earned the No. 2 seed in the tournament for the first time since 2006 and posted their best regular season league record over the past 10 seasons.
No. 3 Valparaiso (20-11, 10-4) enters the weekend having won seven of its last eight contests. This marks the Crusaders' sixth straight year that they have ended the regular season with a top-four finish in the league, and the fourth time out of the past five years with at least 10 league wins.
No. 4 Loyola (16-11, 8-6) enters the championship as the only team to beat top-seeded Cleveland State during the regular season. 2012 marks the first time that Loyola has qualified for the league tournament since 2008, and the fifth time that the Ramblers have finished fourth or higher in the league over the past 10 seasons.
No. 5 Green Bay (15-13, 6-8) enters the weekend having won three of its last five matches. This marks the fifth time that the Phoenix finished the regular season ranked fifth or higher, also doing so during the 2010, 2006, 2005 and 2003 seasons.
No. 6 Youngstown State (15-13, 5-9) qualified for the Horizon League tournament for the first time since 2008, posting a 15-13 overall record during the regular season - marking their best finish over the past 10 years.
LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP COMES BACK TO CLEVELAND
This will be the second time that CSU has hosted the Horizon League Championship, also doing so in 2009 when the Vikings won the regular season title with a 13-3 record. Over the past 10 years, Milwaukee or Cleveland State has been the host of the tournament, with both teams combining for five tournament titles.
HORIZON LEAGUE REGULAR SEASON CHAMPIONS!
With the 3-2 victory over Valparaiso (Nov. 3) the Cleveland State volleyball team clinched the 2012 Horizon League Regular Season Championship. This marks the second time that the Vikings have been regular season champs, also doing so during the 2009 season.
CSU IN THE HORIZON LEAGUE TOURNAMENT
Under head coach Chuck Voss, Cleveland State has advanced to the championship match of the Horizon League Tournament five times (2011, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2004), claiming the title during 2007. The Vikings have reached the semifinals eight times, and hold an overall record of 11-11 in Horizon League Championship action.
VIKINGS FINISH REGULAR SEASON WITH 13-1 MARK IN LEAGUE PLAY
For the first time in program history the Vikings finished regular season play with just one loss in league action. Cleveland State is also just the second Horizon League team to finish with one loss or less over the past 10 years, joining Milwaukee who finished with one loss or less during six sesasons.
WIN STREAK CONTINUES
CSU extended its win streak to 11 matches last week, just the second time under head coach Chuck Voss that the Vikings have won at least 11 consecutive matches (12-straight during the middle of 2009). During this span CSU has recorded seven 3-0 sweeps and has defeated every team in the league at least once.
20-WIN SEASON
With the 3-2 victory over Valparaiso on Saturday, November 3, the Vikings reached the 20-win mark for the fourth straight season. CSU has recorded 14 20-win seasons in program history, with five coming under head coach Chuck Voss.
CSU PICKS UP MAJOR HONORS IN HORIZON LEAGUE POSTSEASON AWARDS
The Horizon League announced its postseason awards Monday (Nov. 12), with CSU bringing home some major hardware. Kara Koch was named the Player of the Year, becoming the third Viking to earn the honor, while Chuck Voss picked up Coach of the Year honors. Koch also earned a spot on the All-League Team along with Marie Frease and Amanda Medvetz, while redshirt freshman Dayna Roberts was named to the All-Newcomer Team.
KOCH REACHES 1,000 DIG MILESTONE
Following her 15th double-double of the season against Youngstown State last week (18 kills & 12 digs), Kara Koch became the fifth Viking to notch 1,00 kills and 1,000 digs on their career. Koch enters the week with 1,533 kills and 1,005 digs on her career. She is the 14th Viking to reach the 1,000 dig milestone and is 48 digs shy of cracking the top-10 all-time digs list at CSU.
ROBERTS IN LEAGUE PLAY
Since stepping in as the starting setter at the beginning of league play, Dayna Roberts has led the vikings to a league best .278 hitting percentage. Roberts is averaging 11.63 assists per set, which ranks second in the league, while also averaging 2.72 digs per set. She has notched six double-doubles this season, with all of them coming during Horizon League play.
CHASING THE RECORDS
Entering the week, three Vikings are in the top-10 on CSU career record lists, including senior Kara Koch who ranks in five categories. Koch ranks in the top-10 in Attack Attempts (1st-4,225), Kills Per Set (2nd-3.75), Kills (2nd-1,533), Points Per Set (2nd-4.17) and Total Points (2nd-1,704.5). Senior Marie Frease (3rd-.325) and junior Jackie Dabbelt (7th-.292) both rank in the top-10 in Hitting Percentage.
...FREASE & DABBELT IN THE HORIZON LEAGUE RECORD BOOK
Along with ranking in the CSU career record book, the duo of Marie Frease and Jackie Dabbelt also rank in the top-10 in career hitting percentage in the league record book. Frease, who currently has a career hitting percentage of .325 ranks third, while Dabbelt ranks sixth with a .292 hitting percentage. Cleveland State alum Jamie Bouyer (2001-04) leads the league with a .339 career hitting percentage.
VIKINGS PICK UP FIVE HORIZON LEAGUE WEEKLY AWARDS
Cleveland State has earned five weekly honors from the Horizon League so far this season. 2012 Honorees: Kara Koch (Offensive POW-9/4 , 9/24 & 10/29), Marie Frease (Offensive POW-9/10) & Amanda Medvetz (Defensive POW-9/10).
UP NEXT
If the Vikings can pick up two victories this weekend at the Horizon League Tournament, not only would CSU be the 2012 Tournament Champions, but they would also earn the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament which begins on Thursday, November 29.
