TOLEDO, Ohio – The Cleveland State volleyball team began play at the Blue/Gold Invitational Friday – their final early-season tournament – picking up wins over Radford and Robert Morris. The two wins improve Cleveland State to 10-3 on the season.
Cleveland State vs. Radford
The Scores
23-25, 20-25, 25-15, 25-16, 15-9
Match Stats
- Christina Toth led the Viking offense with a career-high 24 kills on a .400 hitting percentage (24-6-45).
- Grace Kauth notched her seventh double-double of the season with 17 kills and 16 digs.
- Gina Kilner set a career-high with 56 assists – while also eclipsing the 1,000 assist mark for her career, ending the match with 1,045 assists.
- The Viking defense was led by Dayna Roberts and Kauth who both posted 16 digs, while Nikki Holmes and Kilner each notched 15 digs.
- As a team, CSU posted a season-best 68 kills and 83 digs against Radford.
Match Notes
- The Vikings improved their overall record against Radford to a perfect 3-0 mark with the 3-2 victory.
- This marked the fifth five-set match for Cleveland State this season, with the Vikings now owning a 4-1 mark in five-set contests.
- CSU has now picked up a win in its opening match of all four early-season tournaments.
The Match
After dropping the first two sets, Cleveland State stormed back to pick up wins in the next three frames to claim the five-set victory. During the third set the Vikings were able to control play from the start, holding the advantage for the entire frame, including a 10-point lead at 21-11 following nine straight points from the Vikings. This 9-0 Cleveland State run included four kills from Christina Toth, one kill from Gina Kilner, and four Radford errors. The Vikings then closed out the frame with kills from Katie Mihalik and Grace Kauth and a Rachel Dohar service ace to put the match score at 2-1 Radford.
During the fourth frame both teams traded points to open the set, until Cleveland State went on a 5-1 run to gain a 17-13 advantage. The Vikings were then able to control play for the rest of the set, closing out the frame on an 8-3 run to even the match at two sets each.
The fifth and final frame was much like the fourth, as both teams once again traded points to open the set until Cleveland State was able to post three straight points to gain a 9-5 lead following a Kauth service ace. The Vikings were able to hold the advantage for the remainder of the set then, picking up the set and match point on a Kauth kill.
Cleveland State vs. Robert Morris
The Scores
25-19, 25-20, 25-16
Match Stats
- Grace Kauth (18 kills) and Christina Toth (13 kills) led the Viking offense, while Rachel Stover chipped in seven kills.
- Dayna Roberts posted a team-high 16 digs, while Shannon Grega added 10.
- Mariah Carerro-Johnson notched a career-high six blocks, while Alexis Middlebrooks, Rachel Stover and Christina Toth each added three.
Match Notes
- The Vikings now stand at 29-1 all-time against Robert Morris.
- Friday's win against RMU allowed Cleveland State to reach double-digit wins for the season.
- CSU has now gone 2-0 to start all four early-season tournaments.
The Match
During the opening set Cleveland State was able to get out to an early lead, but Robert Morris was able to tie the frame at 11-11 before three straight Viking points once again extended the CSU lead. After gaining an 18-13 lead following a pair of Christina Toth kills, the Vikings were able to easily put the frame away earning the 25-19 set victory on a Grace Kauth service ace.
The second set was much of the same, as CSU controlled play throughout the frame, holding a multi-point lead for the majority of the set. With a 23-20 advantage, the Vikings were able to close out the set with back-to-back kills from Kauth and Alexis Middlebrooks for the 25-20 victory.
During the third and final frame, CSU was able to distance itself at the 17-10 mark, after posting three straight points on kills from Kauth and Toth and another Kauth service ace. The Vikings then controlled play for the remainder of the set, picking up the nine-point set victory on a Sydney Mast kill and a Robert Morris error.
Blue/Gold Invitational Results
Cleveland State 3, Radford 2
Toledo 3, Robert Morris 2
Cleveland State 3, Robert Morris 0
Toledo 3, Radford 2
Radford vs. Robert Morris, 11:00 a.m. Saturday
Toledo vs. Cleveland State, 1:00 p.m. Saturday
Up Next
- Cleveland State @ Toledo – Saturday, September 19 – 1:00 p.m. – Blue/Gold Invitational
