BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – For the fourth straight weekend, the Cleveland State volleyball team was victorious during its tournament-opening match, as the Vikings picked up a 3-1 victory against IUPUI Friday evening. With the win, the Vikings improve to 8-2 this season and will continue play at the Hoosier Classic tomorrow.
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Match Stats
· Four Vikings finished the match with double-digit kills, led by Grace Kauth who finished with 20 kills on a .357 hitting percentage.
· Alexis Middlebrooks tallied 15 kills on the match, while Sydney Mast added 11 and Sara Skeens posted 10.
· Gina Kilner finished the match with 49 assists.
· Shannon Grega led the Viking defense with 17 digs, while Grace Kauth tallied 10 digs.
· Sara Skeens posted a team-best six total blocks, while Mariah Carrero-Johnson added three blocks.
· As a team, the Vikings recorded 70 kills on the match, a season-best mark.
Match Notes
· The Vikings extend their current winstreak to four matches with the 3-1 victory over IUPUI.
· Head coach Chuck Voss is now just one win shy of notching his 300th victory at Cleveland State.
· With her 20-kill performance, Grace Kauth marked her third 20+ kill match of the season and notched her sixth double-double of the year with her 10-dig effort.
The Match
During the opening set, the Vikings were able to control play throughout the majority of the frame, but weren't able to gain an extended lead until the end of the frame. After going back-and-forth throughout the first part of the set, the Vikings finally put the set away after posting the final five points of the frame. During this stretch, Cleveland State got points off of kills from Alexis Middlebrooks and Grace Kauth and a block from Kauth and Middlebrooks.
Although the Vikings had a slow start to the second set, they were able to rebound midway through, battling back from a four-point deficit to regain an 18-14 advantage on a Gina Kilner kill. The Vikings were then able to control play throughout the rest of the frame, and put the set away with six consecutive points.
After dropping the third set, Cleveland State was able to put the match away in the fourth frame, as the Vikings once again gained a large advantage midway through and cruised to a 25-17 set victory. After the set was tied at 16-16, Cleveland State ran off eight straight points to earn a match-point at the 24-16 mark on an IUPUI error and then finally put the frame away two plays later with another Kauth kill – her 20th of the match.
Up Next
· Cleveland State vs. Arkansas State – 10:00 a.m. – Saturday, September 17
· Cleveland State @ Indiana – 7:00 p.m. – Saturday, September 17
