YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Cleveland State volleyball team picked up its first Horizon League victory of the season Sunday afternoon, posting a 3-0 sweep at Youngstown State. The Vikings now stand at 10-4 overall this season and 1-1 in league play.

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Match Stats
· Sara Skeens led the Viking offense with 12 kills, while the trio of Alexis Middlebrooks, Aaliyah Slappy, and Grace Kauth all added eight kills.
· Shannon Grega recorded nine digs, with Grace Kauth and Jordan Verbiak both adding eight digs.
· Aaliyah Slappy posted a team-high three blocks.
· Cleveland State posted a .337 hitting percentage (49-16-98) as a team.

Match Notes
· Sunday's match marked the fourth 3-0 sweep for the Vikings this season.
· Sara Skeens tied her career-high for the fifth time with her 12 kills against Youngstown State.
· Gina Kilner eclipsed the 2,500-assist mark for her career against the Penguins, finishing the match with 2,505 helpers.
· With her three total blocks at YSU, Aaliyah Slappy is now just one block shy of notching 275 total blocks on her career.

The Match
Cleveland State controlled play throughout the entire match, as the Vikings held the advantage for the majority of the contest, cruising to the 3-0 sweep at Youngstown State.

During the opening set, the Vikings got out to a 9-5 lead following an Aaliyah Slappy kill and a YSU error, and then weathered a Penguin comeback to regain the advantage at 20-16 on a Grace Kauth solo block. The Vikings then held the lead for the rest of the frame, and closed out the set with an Aaliyah Slappy kill.

The second set was a tighter contest, as the two teams stayed within a few points of each other until midway through when Cleveland State gained a 20-14 advantage on an Alexis Middlebrooks kill. The Vikings then went on a 5-2 run to close the frame, with the final two points coming on a Slappy and Sara Skeens block and a YSU error.

The third set was once again a back-and-forth contest through the first part of the frame, until Cleveland State was able to distance itself at the 16-12 mark following a Gina Kilner service ace. The Vikings were then able to hold a multi-point advantage for the rest of the set, closing out the match on another service ace, this time from Middlebrooks.

Next Up
· Cleveland State @ Northern Kentucky – Friday, September 30 – 6:00 p.m. – Highland Heights, Ky.