MATCH #26
@ Northern Kentucky | Wednesday, November 8 | 6:00 pm
Live Stats | Live Video
MATCH #27
Green Bay | Friday, November 10 | 6:00 pm
Live Stats | Live Video
CLEVELAND STATE MATCH NOTES vs. NORTHERN KENTUCKY/GREEN BAY
QUICK SETS
The Cleveland State volleyball team will wrap up the 2017 regular season this week, splitting time at home and on the road. The Vikings will open the week with a midweek contest at Northern Kentucky on Wednesday (November 8), before hosting Green Bay on Friday (November 10). Entering the week, the Vikings stand at 18-7 overall this season and own an 11-3 mark in Horizon League action.
THIS WEEK'S OPPONENTS
Northern Kentucky | The Norse enter the week with an 11-12 overall record and an even 7-7 mark in Horizon League play. Northern Kentucky has won two of its last three matches, and currently sits in sixth place in the #HLVB standings.
Green Bay | The Phoenix enter Friday's contest with a 12-13 mark on the season, including an 8-6 record in #HLVB play. Green Bay has won four of its last seven matches, and will close out the season on the road. Entering the final week of regular season play, the Phoenix rank fifth in the league standings.
VIKINGS PICK UP MOMENTUM
Entering the final week of regular season play, the Vikings have won eight straight matches and nine of their last 11. During this stretch, Cleveland State has worked its way into a tie for first place in the league standings, while opening the month of November with a perfect 2-0 record. Cleveland State's eight-match winstreak is the longest active winstreak among league teams, while it is also the 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. Last weekend the Vikings picked up a pair of home wins against Oakland and Youngstown State, and will host Green Bay on Friday in the regular season finale. So far this season the Vikings stand at 6-1 when playing at home, while they own a 28-5 record in Woodling Gymnasium over the last three seasons.
2017 SENIOR NIGHT
Friday's contest against Green Bay will serve as Senior Night for Cleveland State, as the Vikings will honor the quartet of Alexis Middlebrooks, Shannon Grega, Gina Kilner, and Katie Mihalik prior to the match. This group has led the Vikings to back-to-back Horizon League Regular Season and Tournament championships, while also helping Cleveland State to a pair of 20-win seasons.
CHASING A 20-WIN SEASON
Entering the week, the Vikings are just two wins shy of their eighth 20-win season under head coach Chuck Voss, and their 17th 20-win season in program history. With two 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.
…AND A REGULAR SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP
Entering the final pair of regular season matches, Cleveland State is tied at the top of the league standings with an 11-3 #HLVB record. The Vikings enter the week chasing down their fifth Horizon League Regular Season championship (2016, 2015, 2012, 2009) - including their third straight regular season title.
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 (.254), kills (14.00) and assists (13.27). So far this season the Vikings have recorded a .250 clip during 14 matches, including a season-high mark of .381 against Indiana State (47-10-97).
DeGEORGE CONTINUES STRONG ROOKIE CAMPAIGN
Freshman outside hitter Emily DeGeorge has been having an excellent first season at Cleveland State, appearing in all 25 matches and picking up a starting spot in 19 of them. For the season, DeGeorge is averaging 1.76 kills per set and 2.84 digs per set, and has been playing as an all-around player for the majority of the contests.
GREGA CONTINUES CLIMB UP CSU CAREER RECORD BOOK
After posting a career-high 26 digs against Oakland and 18 against Youngstown State last weekend, senior Shannon Grega eclipsed the 1,400-dig mark for her career, becoming just the fourth Viking all-time to eclipse the milestone. Grega, who ranks second in the league averaging 4.66 digs per set, enters the week just five digs shy of moving into third place in the CSU Career Record Book. For the season Grega has 457 total digs, and has notched eight 20+ dig performances.
…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 leading the Horizon League averaging 0.41 service aces per set. Grega, who combined for four aces last weekend, eclipsed the 100-ace mark for her career, entering Wednesday's contest with 103 total service aces. For the season, Grega has 40 aces - the first Viking to notch 40+ aces in a season since 2009 - with at least three matches left to play this year.
SKEENS LEADING THE WAY DURING WINSTREAK
Reigning Horizon League Co-Freshman of the Year Sara Skeens has been Cleveland State's top offensive threat during its eight-match winstreak, with the sophomore averaging 3.33 kills per set. Over the last eight matches, Skeens has recorded a team-best 110 total kills and tallied a career-high 19-kill performance against IUPUI (Oct. 28). In league matches only this season, Skeens ranks ninth among league players averaging 3.13 kills per set.
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 week with 1,057 career kills, became the 16th Viking all-time to achieve the feat and currently leads the Vikings averaging 3.17 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 4,260 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 28 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 333-202 (.622) 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 look to defend their Horizon League Tournament title for the third straight season next weekend at the 2017 Horizon League Championship. The three-day tournament will be hosted by the regular season champion, with the tournament champ earning the league's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
