POUGHKEEPSIE, NY – The Cleveland State volleyball team wrapped up its East Coast swing Saturday, splitting a pair of matches against Binghamton and Marist. The Vikings picked up a 3-1 victory against Marist and fell to Binghamton in five sets. After finishing the weekend with a 2-1 record, Cleveland State now stands at 3-3 this season.
All-Tournament Team
· Cleveland State landed two players on the All-Tournament Team, with seniors Alexis Middlebrooks and Gina Kilner both earning the accolade.
· Alexis Middlebrooks led the Viking offense on the weekend, averaging 4.25 kills per set on a .441 hitting percentage. Middlebrooks tallied a team-high in kills in all three matches, including a weekend-best 19-kill effort against Binghamton. Middlebrooks also finished with a team-best 12 total blocks on the weekend.
· Gina Kilner captained the Viking offense all weekend, averaging 11.58 assists per set. Kilner recorded 45+ assists in two of the three matches this weekend, including 56 against Marist in the weekend finale helping Cleveland State to a .315 hitting percentage as a team. Kilner also added 19 kills and 22 digs on the weekend.
Cleveland State vs. Binghamton Box Score
Match Stats
· The Viking offense was led by the trio of Alexis Middlebrooks (19 kills), Trinniti Hall (13 kills) and Gina Kilner (11 kills), while Hannah Greene added nine kills.
· The trio of Gina Kilner (.579), Alexis Middlebrooks (.469) and Hannah Greene (.412) all recorded a .400 hitting percentage or better.
· Shannon Grega recorded 20 digs to lead the Viking defense, while Jordan Verbiak added 13 digs.
·As a team, Cleveland State finished the match with 17.0 total team blocks.
·Hannah Greene recorded a team-best 10 total blocks on the match, while Alexis Middlebrooks added six and Rachel Stover chipped in five.
· Shannon Grega tallied four service aces, while Rachael Dohar added one ace.
Match Notes
· Gina Kilner was just shy of a triple-double with 11 kills, 48 assists and eight digs.
· Gina Kilner set a career-high with her 11 kills against Binghamton.
· Shannon Grega tied her career-high with four service aces on the match, while she has now tallied a service ace in every match this season.
· This marked Cleveland State's third five-set match out of the first five matches of the season.
Cleveland State vs. Marist Box Score
Match Stats
· The Viking offense was led by four players who notched double-digit kills, including Alexis Middlebrooks who tallied a team-high 18 kills on a .517 hitting percentage (18-3-29).
· Rachel Stover added 12 kills, while Mariah Carrero-Johnson posted 11 and Emily DeGeorge added 10 kills.
· Gina Kilner finished the match with 56 assists, helping Cleveland State to a .315 hitting percentage as a team.
· Alexis Middlebrooks (.517) and Rachel Stover (.500) both finished the match above .500, while Sara Skeens (.429) and Mariah Carrero-Johnson (.412) had at least a .400 hitting percentage.
· Shannon Grega recorded a team-best 19 digs, while Jordan Verbiak posted 10 digs and Rachael Dohar and Emily DeGeorge both added eight.
· Rachel Stover and Mariah Carrero-Johnson both finished the match with five blocks, while Alexis Middlebrooks added four blocks.
· As a team, Cleveland State recorded six service aces, including two from Alexis Middlebrooks.
Match Notes
· Shannon Grega continued her stretch of matches with a service ace (six straight this season), recording one against Marist.
· Mariah Carrero-Johnson tied her career-high – which she set against Fordham Friday afternoon – with 11 kills.
· With her 18 kills against Marist, Alexis Middlebrooks has now tallied double-digit kills in five of the six matches this season.
· Cleveland State's .315 hitting percentage as a team marked a season-high for the Vikings.
· This marked just the second match between the two teams, with Cleveland State now owning a 2-0 record in the series.
Up Next
· Cleveland State will continue its non-league slate with a pair of matches next weekend, facing Central Michigan (Friday, September 8) and Indiana State (Saturday, September 9).
Rose Hill Classic/Volley In The Valley Results
Cleveland State 3, Fordham 0
Cleveland State 3, Marist 1
Fordham 3, Rider 1
Binghamton 3, Rider 1
Binghamton 3, Cleveland State 2
Marist 3, Binghamton 2