CLEVELAND, Ohio – The top-seeded Cleveland State volleyball team captured its fourth Horizon League Tournament title Sunday afternoon - and its second straight Horizon League crown – with a five-set victory over No. 2 Green Bay in the Horizon League Tournament Championship match. The Vikings are now 25-5 on the season and will be making their second straight trip to the NCAA Tournament.
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2016 Horizon League Champions
· The Cleveland State volleyball team captured its fourth Horizon League Tournament title under head coach Chuck Voss, and its second consecutive crown.
· 2016 marked the second straight season that the Vikings also captured the Regular Season title, claiming both the regular season and tournament championships.
· This marked the eighth time that the Vikings advanced to the championship match of the tournament, as the Vikings now own an 18-13 record in league tournament play.
Horizon League All-Tournament Honors
· Alexis Middlebrooks was named the Tournament MVP for the second straight season, after posting a team-high 35 kills on a .353 hitting percentage and six blocks on the tournament. Middlebrooks posted 15 kills against Oakland in the semifinals, and followed that up with a team-best 20-kill performance against Green Bay in the championship.
· Gina Kilner earned a spot on the all-tournament team after leading the Vikings to a .224 hitting percentage as a team on the weekend with 101 total assists. Kilner recorded 47 assists against Oakland and 54 against the Phoenix, while she also tallied 16 digs during the tournament.
· Shannon Grega was also named to the all-tournament team, combining for 34 digs on the weekend. Grega posted 17 digs in both, the semifinal and championship match, helping to hold Cleveland State's opponents to a .188 hitting percentage.
Horizon League Championship Match Stats
· Alexis Middlebrooks led the Viking offense with 20 kills on a .515 hitting percentage (20-3-33).
· Sara Skeens added 13 kills for the Vikings, while Grace Kauth tallied 11.
· Gina Kilner notched 54 assists on the match, helping the Vikings to 64 total kills.
· Shannon Grega and Grace Kauth both posted 17 digs against the Phoenix, while Jordan Verbiak added 11.
· Aaliyah Slappy posted a team-high six blocks, while Alexis Middlebrooks added five and Gina Kilner and Sara Skeens both recorded four.
· As a team, the Vikings combined for 15 total blocks.
Horizon League Championship Match Notes
· The Vikings enter the NCAA Tournament having won 16 of their last 17 matches.
· Cleveland State's back-to-back Horizon League Championships marks the first time since the 2008 and 2009 seasons that a team has claimed back-to-back tournament titles.
· The Vikings have now won three out of the last five Horizon League Tournament championships.
· Alexis Middlebrooks' 20-kill performance marked her first 20+ kill match of the season.
· After posting five total blocks against the Phoenix, Alexis Middlebrooks cracked the top-10 in the CSU Career Record book with 344 total blocks.
· With her six block assists, Aaliyah Slappy moved into eighth place in the CSU Career Record book with 294 career block assists.
NCAA Tournament Selection Show
· The Vikings will find out where they will be playing in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, November 27. The NCAA Selection Show will be aired live on ESPNU at 9:00 p.m.
· Check back to CSUVikings.com for updates on a NCAA Tournament Selection Show watch party.