CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland State volleyball team will close out the 2015 regular season this week, playing three matches over a five-day span. The Vikings will open this stretch by hosting Northern Kentucky in their final home match of the regular season on Tuesday, November 10 at 7:00 p.m. in Woodling Gymnasium.
Entering Tuesday's contest, the Vikings stand at 22-5 overall this season and 11-2 in Horizon League play. Cleveland State currently sits in first place in the league standings, and will be battling for the regular season crown throughout the final stretch of the regular season.
Northern Kentucky enters Tuesday's match sitting fourth in the league standings, owning a 13-13 overall record including an 8-6 mark in league action. NKU has won five of its last six matches, and will close out the regular season at CSU and at Oakland (Saturday, Nov. 14).
THE VIKINGS
Cleveland State enters the week leading the Horizon League with a .263 hitting percentage and ranks second averaging 13.82 kills per set. The Vikings are also averaging a league-best 2.34 blocks per set, while ranking second with 12.81 assists per set.
Individually Alexis Middlebrooks ranks second in both hitting percentage (.336) and blocks (1.11), while Gina Kilner ranks third averaging 10.91 assists per set. Christina Toth ranks fourth in kills (3.92) and ninth in hitting percentage (.269), with Dayna Roberts ranking seventh in digs (3.73) and Grace Kauth ranking fifth in kills (3.64).
Cleveland State's 22 wins so far this season marks the fourth highest win total over the past 30 years, and is the sixth 20-win season under head coach Chuck Voss. With at least four matches left in the 2015 season the Vikings have a chance to tie the record for most wins under Voss (current record is 26 during the 2009 season).
THE STANDINGS
With just one week left in the regular season, seeding is still up for grabs in the upcoming Horizon League Tournament. Below are the current standings as of Monday, Nov. 9:
1. Cleveland State (11-2)
2. Oakland (11-3)
3. Valparaiso (9-5)
4. Northern Kentucky (8-6)
5. Green Bay (7-8)
5. Milwaukee (7-8)
7. UIC (5-9)
8. Youngstown State (3-10)
9. Wright State (2-12)
THE RECORD BOOK
Entering the final week of the regular season four Vikings rank in the top-10 in the CSU career record book in five different categories:
Kills Per Set
7. Grace Kauth (3.04)
Attack Attempts
10. Grace Kauth (3,037)
Assists
7. Dayna Roberts (1,926)
8. Gina Kilner (1,701)
Digs
5. Dayna Roberts (1,139)
7. Nikki Holmes (1,111)
Points Per Set
10. Grace Kauth (3.46)
