MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – The Cleveland State volleyball team was once again able to make quick work of its opponent Saturday afternoon, earning a 3-0 sweep of Indiana State to close out the Chippewa Challenge. With the win, the Vikings now stand at 5-3 on the season.
Cleveland State vs. Indiana State Box Score
All-Tournament Team
· After posting a perfect 2-0 record on the weekend, Cleveland State had three players named to the All-Tournament Team, with Gina Kilner and Emily DeGeorge earning All-Tournament honors, while Shannon Grega was named the Tournament MVP
· Shannon Grega led the Viking defense this weekend, averaging 4.67 digs per set. Grega also tallied three service aces and six assists at the Chippewa Challenge. This is Grega's first All-Tournament accolade of the season.
· Gina Kilner captained the Viking offense with 11.67 assists per set, while also notching 11 kills, six digs, and four blocks. With her 70 total assists this weekend, Kilner became the fifth Viking all-time to eclipse the 3,500-assist mark. This marks Kilner's second All-Tournament honor this year.
· Emily DeGeorge picked up her first All-Tournament Team honor this weekend, averaging 2.33 kills and 2.17 digs per set. DeGeorge notched a .343 hitting percentage on the weekend (14-2-35), while also posting four block assists.
Match Stats
· Sara Skeens led the Viking offense with 15 kills on a .444 hitting percentage, while Emily DeGeorge added nine kills.
· Alexis Middlebrooks tallied seven kills against Indiana State, with Hannah Greene adding six and Gina Kilner and Katie Mihalik both adding five.
· Shannon Grega led the Viking defense with 15 digs, while Emily DeGeorge added 10.
· Emily DeGeorge had a team-best four blocks on the match, while Alexis Middlebrooks added three and Hannah Greene and Gina Kilner both posted two.
· As a team, the Vikings recorded six service aces, including three from Jordan Verbiak.
· Cleveland State recorded a .381 hitting percentage as a team (47-10-97), while the trio of Sara Skeens (.444), Hannah Greene (.417), and Gina Kilner (.400) all tallied a .400 clip or better.
Match Notes
· Saturday's victory marked the third 3-0 sweep of the season for the Vikings, while it also marked Cleveland State's third straight victory.
· With her service ace against Indiana State, Shannon Grega has recorded an ace in all eight matches so far this season.
· Cleveland State's six service aces tied the season-high mark during 2017.
· The Vikings' .381 hitting percentage marked a season-high for the team, bettering their mark of .366 that they posted against Central Michigan Friday evening.
The Match
To open the contest, Cleveland State rattled off seven straight points before Indiana State was able to get on the board, gaining a sizeable advantage that the Vikings would hold for the rest of the frame. The Vikings were able to gain a double-digit lead at the 20-10 mark following a block from Alexis Middlebrooks and Gina Kilner, and extended their lead to 21-10 with an Indiana State error on the following play. The Vikings then closed out the frame with three points on three Sara Skeens kills.
The second set was just the opposite, as the Vikings found themselves with an 11-8 deficit early on in the frame, forcing Cleveland State to take an early timeout. Out of the timeout, the Vikings responded with four straight points, gaining a 12-11 lead on a Katie Mihalik kill. The two teams then traded points over the next few plays, until Cleveland State earned an 18-15 advantage following a Kilner kill and service ace to force an Indiana State timeout. The Vikings then earned back-to-back points on a pair of ISU errors following the timeout, gaining a five-point lead at 20-15. The teams traded points once again to close out the frame then, with Cleveland State earning the 25-19 set victory on a Middlebrooks kill.
After the intermission the Vikings came out strong in the third set, jumping out to an 8-2 lead before forcing an Indiana State timeout. The Vikings extended their lead to seven points with a Skeens kill following the timeout, but a 6-2 run from Indiana State closed the gap to 11-8 Vikings. This would be as close as the Sycamores would get though, as Cleveland State responded with three straight points on a pair of kills from Emily DeGeorge and Mihalik and a block from DeGeorge and Middlebrooks to put the score at 14-8. The Vikings then took control of the set, cruising to a 25-19 victory to claim the three-set sweep of Indiana State.
CSU Career Record Book
· With her three block assists against Indiana State, Alexis Middlebrooks moved into sixth place in the CSU Career Record Book, owning 333 career block assists.
Up Next
· Cleveland State will close out its non-league schedule next weekend, taking part in the Panther Challenge. The Vikings will take on Eastern Kentucky (Friday, September 15), UC Santa Barbara (Saturday, September 16) and the host, Pittsburgh (Saturday, September 16).
