YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Cleveland State volleyball team got back on the winning track Friday evening, picking up a 3-0 victory at Youngstown State. With the win, the Vikings improve to 10-6 on the season and 3-2 in Horizon League play.
Cleveland State vs. Youngstown State Box Score
Match Stats
• Alexis Middlebrooks led a balanced offensive attack with nine kills on a .412 hitting percentage.
• The trio of Gina Kilner, Rachel Stover and Sara Skeens all added eight kills for the Vikings.
• Shannon Grega led the Viking defense with 19 digs, while Jordan Verbiak added 10 digs.
• Rachael Dohar and Gina Kilner both chipped in seven digs.
• Hannah Greene recorded a team-best seven blocks, while Sara Skeens added four blocks.
Match Notes
• Friday's win marked the 17th time out of Chuck Voss' 18-year tenure that the Vikings have reached double-digit wins in a single season.
• The Vikings improved to 58-17 all-time against Youngstown State.
• With her service against YSU, Shannon Grega has now tallied an ace in all but two matches this season.
The Match
During the first set the two teams traded points throughout the entire frame, with neither team being able to distance themselves until the very end when Cleveland State tallied four of the final six points. During this stretch the Vikings got points on a pair of kills from Trinniti Hall and Sara Skeens, an Alexis Middlebrooks and Skeens block and a YSU error.
The Vikings were able to carry their momentum into the second set then, as they gained a quick eight-point advantage at the 15-7 mark following an 8-0 run. Cleveland State was able to hold onto this lead for the remainder of the frame, and closed out the set with three of the final four points including kills from Skeens and Christina Hudgens.
Despite the Penguins gaining an early lead in the third set, Cleveland State was able to battle its way back into the frame, going on 10-1 run to regain a six-point advantage at the 21-15 mark. The Vikings then controlled play throughout the rest of the set, closing out the frame and earning the victory on an Emily DeGeorge kill.
CSU Career Record Book
• With her three block assists against the Penguins, Alexis Middlebrooks moved into fifth place in the CSU Career Record Book with 347 career block assists.
• After posting 19 digs on the night, Shannon Grega moved into fifth place in the CSU Career Record book with 1,224 career digs.
Up Next
• The Vikings will close out the weekend with a 4:00 p.m. contest at Oakland tomorrow, Saturday, October 7.
