MATCH #24
Oakland | Friday, November 3 | 6:00 pm
Live Stats
MATCH #25
Youngstown State | Satuday, November 4 | 4:00 pm
Live Stats | Live Video
CLEVELAND STATE MATCH NOTES vs. OAKLAND/YOUNGSTOWN STATE
QUICK SETS
The Cleveland State volleyball team will return home to begin the final stretch of the 2017 regular season this weekend, hosting Oakland and Youngstown State in a crucial pair of Horizon League matches. The Vikings, who currently own a 16-7 overall record and a 9-3 mark in #HLVB play, will open the weekend with a 6:00 p.m. contest against Oakland on Friday, November 3, and will then face Youngstown State at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 4.
THIS WEEKEND'S OPPONENTS
Oakland | The Golden Grizzlies enter the weekend with a 14-10 overall record, and are currently tied at the top of the league standings with the Vikings with a 9-3 #HLVB record. The Golden Grizzlies enter Friday's contest on a three-match winstreak, and have won nine of their last 10 matches.
Youngstown State | The Penguins enter the weekend standing at 7-19 overall and 0-12 in Horizon League play. The Penguins will be trying for their first victory in #HLVB play, while also trying to snap a 12-match losing skid.
VIKINGS PICK UP MOMENTUM
Entering this weekend's homestand the Vikings have won six straight matches and seven of their last eight. During this stretch, Cleveland State has worked its way into a tie for first place in the league standings, while finishing the month of October with a 7-1 record. Cleveland State's six-match winstreak is the longest active winstreak among league teams, while it is the second longest streak of the season.
ROAD WARRIORS TO WOODLING WARRIORS
After beginning the season with 13 straight road matches, the Vikings will have the advantage of playing on their home court to close out the regular season, playing three of their final four matches at Woodling Gymnasium. Along with this weekend's homestand against Oakland and Youngstown State, the Vikings will also host Green Bay in the regular season finale on Friday, November 10. So far this season the Vikings stand at 4-1 when playing at home, while they own a 26-5 record in Woodling Gymnasium over the last three seasons.
SKEENS RECORDS CAREER-HIGH MATCHES
Reigning Horizon League Co-Freshman of the Year Sara Skeens continued her impressive play against Horizon League opponents last time out, as she recorded career-highs against Wright State and IUPUI. Skeens, who ranks 10th in the #HLVB stats averaging 3.06 kills per set in league matches only, posted a career-high 18 kills against Wright State last Friday and then followed that up with a career-high 19 kills against IUPUI on Saturday. Through the last six matches Skeens has combined for a team-best 82 total kills, a stretch in which Cleveland State has posted a perfect 6-0 record.
DeGEORGE CONTINUES STRONG ROOKIE CAMPAIGN
Freshman outside hitter Emily DeGeorge has been having an excellent first season at Cleveland State, appearing in all 23 matches and picking up a starting spot in 17 of them. For the season, DeGeorge is averaging 1.73 kills per set and 2.83 digs per set, and has been playing as an all-around player for the majority of the contests. Last time out, DeGeorge posted a career-high 16 kills against IUPUI, while she was just shy of tying her career-high with 19 digs against the Jaguars.
CHASING A 20-WIN SEASON
Entering the weekend, the Vikings are just four wins shy of their eighth 20-win season under head coach Chuck Voss, and their 17th 20-win season in program history. With four more wins, the Vikings would notch their third straight 20-win season, marking the third time that Cleveland State has recorded three straight 20-win campaigns in program history.
HIGH POWERED OFFENSE
Entering the final stretch of the 2017 regular season, Cleveland State continues to lead the league in all three major offensive statistical categories; hitting percentage (.256), kills (14.09) and assists (13.34). So far this season the Vikings have recorded a .250 clip during 13 matches, including a season-high mark of .381 against Indiana State (47-10-97). Last time out, the Vikings notched a season-best 72 total kills, marking their first 70+ kill match of the season.
GREGA CONTINUES CLIMB UP CSU CAREER RECORD BOOK
Senior Shannon Grega combined for 39 digs in last week's matches against Wright State and IUPUI, eclipsing the 1,350-dig mark for her career. Grega, who posted 20 digs against the Raiders and 19 against the Jaguars, became just the fourth Viking all-time to reach 1,350 career digs, and enters Friday's match against Oakland with 1,357 career digs. Among league players, Grega ranks second averaging 4.59 digs per set, and has tallied 413 total digs this season.
…CONTINUES TO INCH CLOSER TO SERVICE ACES TOP-10
Shannon Grega has also been strong from the service line this season, as she enters the week ranking second in the Horizon League averaging 0.40 service aces per set. Grega, who recorded an ace against Wright State last week, has 99 on her career and is inching closer to a spot on the top-10 list in the CSU Career Record Book. For the season Grega has 36 aces - the first Viking to notch 30+ aces in a season since the 2011 season - and still has at least four matches left to play this year.
MIDDLEBROOKS & KILNER ECLIPSE CAREER MARKS
Earlier this season, seniors Alexis Middlebrooks and Gina Kilner both surpassed career milestones, as Middlebrooks recorded her 1,000th career kill and Kilner posted her 4,000th career assist. Middlebrooks, who enters the weekend with 1,038 career kills, became the 16th Viking all-time to achieve the feat and currently leads the Vikings averaging 3.24 kills per set. Kilner became just the fifth Viking all-time to reach the 4,000-assist mark, and enters the week ranked third in the CSU Career Record Book with 4,181 helpers.
KILNER NOTCHES TRIPLE-DOUBLE
Earlier this season, senior setter Gina Kilner recorded the first triple-double of her career, posting 46 assists, 14 digs and 10 kills against IUPUI. Kilner, who is just the fourth Viking to record a triple-double under head coach Chuck Voss, is the second #HLVB player to achieve the feat this season (Jordan Lentz, Oakland) and just one of 27 players nationally.
2017 WEEKLY #HLVB HONORS
So far this season the Vikings have been honored twice by the Horizon League, as senior setter Gina Kilner was named the #HLVB Offensive Player of the Week on September 11 and senior libero Shannon Grega was named the #HLVB Defensive Player of the Week on October 9.
HEAD COACH CHUCK VOSS
Chuck Voss is in his 18th season at the helm of the Vikings, and owns a 331-202 (.621) overall record at CSU. Under Voss the Vikings have recorded 14 winning seasons, including eight straight entering the 2017 season. Cleveland State has eclipsed the 20-win mark seven times since Voss took over the program, and has captured Horizon League Tournament titles four times (2007, 2012, 2015 & 2016) under his guidance. Last season Voss became the all-time winningest coach in program history while also eclipsing the 300-win mark for his Cleveland State career - becoming the only active Horizon League coach to achieve the feat at their current school.
UP NEXT
The Vikings will close out the regular season with a pair of matches next week, traveling to Northern Kentucky for a midweek matchup on Wednesday, November 8, before hosting Green Bay in the regular season finale on Friday, November 10.
