YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Cleveland State volleyball team extended its current winstreak to five matches Friday evening, picking up a 3-0 sweep at Youngstown State. The Vikings, who finish the month of October with an 8-1 record, improve to 21-4 overall this season and 10-1 in Horizon League play.
The Scores
26-24, 25-20, 25-16
Match Stats
· Christina Toth and Alexis Middlebrooks led the Viking offense – Toth with a match-high 14 kills and Middlebrooks with 13 kills.
· Gina Kilner recorded 41 assists on Cleveland State's 48 kills against the Penguins.
· Dayna Roberts led the Viking defense with a team-high 16 digs, while Shanno n Grega and Nikki Holmes each added 11 digs.
· As a team, the Vikings tallied 12.0 total blocks, marking the 11th double-digit block match of the season.
· Alexis Middlebrooks posted a match-high seven blocks, while Aaliyah Slappy, Rachel Stover, Grace Kauth, and Gina Kilner each added three blocks.
Match Notes
· Friday's win gave CSU double-digit victories in Horizon League play, marking the seventh time under head coach Chuck Voss that the Vikings have notched double-digit league wins.
· With her 16 digs, Dayna Roberts is now tied for seventh on the CSU career digs list with 1,107 digs.
· Gina Kilner became the eighth Viking all-time with 1,600 career assists, ending the match with 1,612.
· The win over the Penguins marked the third season sweep for Cleveland State, as the Vikings also picked up both wins against Green Bay and Milwaukee this year.
· The Vikings remain atop the Horizon League standings with their 10-1 league record.
The Match
The opening frame was a tightly contested set, as neither team was able to gain more than a three-point lead throughout the frame. The first set included 11 tie scores and five lead changes. Eight of the ties came during the final few points of the set, as both teams traded points until the 24-24 mark when Cleveland State was finally able to notch back-to-back points to put the set away. These final two points came from a Christina Toth kill and a Shannon Grega service ace, as the Vikings picked up the 26-24 first set victory.
The second set was much of the same, as both teams traded points throughout the majority of the frame. After Youngstown State was able to gain a one-point lead at 20-19, Cleveland State rattled off six straight points to regain control of the match and put the set away. During the final run of the frame, CSU got four points off of blocks, one point from a YSU error and the final point on an Alexis Middlebrooks kill.
The Vikings were then able to control play throughout the entire third set, gaining a seven-point lead at 17-10 following a Nikki Holmes service ace. The Vikings then held a sizeable lead for the remainder of the frame, earning the 3-0 victory following back-to-back kills from Rachel Stover and Middlebrooks.
Up Next
· Cleveland State vs. Wright State – Friday, November 6 – 7:00 p.m. – Woodling Gymnasium
