MATCH #13
Youngstown State | Friday, September 21 | Woodling Gymnasium | 6:00 p.m.
Live Stats | Live Video
MATCH #14
@ Oakland | Sunday, September 23 | Rochester, Mich. | 2:00 p.m.
Live Stats | Live Video
QUICK SETS
Following a 12-match non-league schedule, the Cleveland State volleyball team will begin Horizon League play this weekend, splitting its time at home and on the road. The Vikings will host Youngstown State in the #HLVB opener at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, September 21, before traveling to Oakland for a 2:00 p.m. match on Sunday, September 23. Entering the weekend, Cleveland State owns a 6-6 record, including a 3-3 mark when playing at home this season.
THIS WEEKEND'S OPPONENTS
Youngstown State | The Penguins enter Horizon League play with a 6-7 overall record, but have dropped four straight entering Friday's match. Youngstown State, who was picked to finish ninth in the #HLVB preseason poll, owns a 2-4 record in true road matches this season.
Oakland | The Golden Grizzlies currently own a 4-7 overall record this season, and will host Youngstown State prior to Sunday's matchup against Cleveland State. Oakland was picked to finish second in the #HLVB preseason poll, and split its matches against Miami (OH) (L, 3-1) and Saint Francis (W, 3-1) last time out.
CLEVELAND STATE IN THE HORIZON LEAGUE
The Vikings, who will be playing in their 18th season of Horizon League play, enter the 2018 #HLVB season as the three-time defending Regular Season champions. Under head coach Chuck Voss, the Vikings own a 158-96 record in regular season Horizon League matches, and won a program-best 14 league contests two years ago. Cleveland State has captured five Regular Season Horizon League crowns (2009, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017), along with a handful of tournament titles (2007, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017).
…CLEVELAND STATE IN HORIZON LEAGUE OPENERS
Under head coach Chuck Voss, the Vikings own a 9-9 record in Horizon League openers, and have gone 7-2 over the past nine seasons. Friday's contest against Youngstown State will mark the sixth time that the Vikings will open league play at home, and just the third time that they will face the Penguins in the league opener.
VIKINGS TABBED HORIZON LEAGUE PRESEASON FAVORITES
Last month the Vikings were selected to repeat as Horizon League Champions, as they were tabbed the Horizon League Preseason favorite, picking up 69 points and four first place votes in the league's preseason poll. The Vikings are three-time defending Horizon League Champions, and were named the preseason favorite for the third straight season.
POSTSEASON HONOREES RETURN
The 2018 Vikings welcome back two Horizon League postseason honorees in Sara Skeens and Emily DeGeorge, while Chuck Voss returns as the reigning #HLVB Coach of the Year. Skeens, a junior outside hitter, earned Honorable Mention All-Horizon League accolades last season after averaging a team-best 3.10 kills per and earning #HLVB Tournament MVP honors. DeGeorge, a sophomore outside hitter, was named to the All-Freshman Team last season after averaging 2.78 digs and 1.74 kills per set. DeGeorge also set a Cleveland State freshman class record with 325 total digs during her rookie campaign.
DeGEORGE RECORDS 20-KILL MATCH AT BUTLER
Sophomore outside hitter Emily DeGeorge tallied a career-high 23 kills at Butler last weekend, recording the first 20-kill match of her career. This also marked the first 20-kill match of the season for the Vikings. Through non-league play, DeGeorge is averaging 2.29 kills per set, recording 103 total kills.
…DeGEORGE & GRECOL NAMED ALL-TOURNAMENT
Emily DeGeorge and Christina Grecol represented Cleveland State on the Bulldog Brawl All-Tournament Team last weekend, as DeGeorge was also named the tournament MVP. For the weekend, DeGeorge averaged 4.08 kills and 3.17 digs per set, while Grecol averaged 9.33 assists and 3.42 digs per set. The duo helped Cleveland State to a 2-1 record on the weekend, the best record out of all four teams that competed at the Bulldog Brawl.
GREENE ON THE BLOCK
After the first four weeks of the 2018 season, sophomore Hannah Greene continues to lead the Horizon League in blocks, averaging 1.44 blocks per set. Greene, who has combined for 65 total blocks this year, also ranks 20th nationally with her 1.44 blocks per set average. Greene has recorded three or more blocks in all 12 matches so far this season, including back-to-back nine-block performances against Binghamton and Montana State to start the year.
…CLEVELAND STATE BLOCK PARTY
As a team, the Vikings are averaging 2.67 blocks per set, a mark that leads all Horizon League teams entering the first week of league play. Not only are the Vikings at the top of the Horizon League, but they are also ranked in the top-25 nationally in blocks per set and the top-25 in total blocks (120.0). Through 12 matches, Cleveland State has recorded 10.0 or more team blocks six times, including a season-high 17.0 total team blocks against Binghamton in the season opener.
GRECOL LEADING THE VIKING OFFENSE
Through non-league play, Cleveland State's offense has been led by freshman Christina Grecol, who enters the weekend with 415 total helpers on the year. Grecol, who is the first freshman to lead the Viking offense as the primary setter since Jordan Goad in 2008, currently ranks second among Horizon League players averaging 9.22 assists per set. Grecol's season-high performance came against Harvard earlier this season, as she tallied 53 assists in the five-set victory over the Crimson.
…AND RECORDS FIRST COLLEGIATE DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Last time out, Christina Grecol recorded the first double-doubles of her collegiate career, finishing with 29 assists and 11 digs against Santa Clara, and 39 assists and 21 digs against Butler. The 21 digs against the Bulldogs marked a career-high for Grecol, while it also marked the seventh 20-dig match of the season for the Vikings.
DOHAR ON DEFENSE
Entering Horizon League play, senior libero Rachael Dohar ranks fourth among league players averaging 4.80 digs per set. Dohar has tallied 216 total digs so far this year, including four 20+ dig matches. Against Bowling Green earlier this season, Dohar finished with a career-high 30-dig performance, recording the first 30-dig match for the Vikings since the 2015 season.
HEAD COACH CHUCK VOSS
Chuck Voss is in his 19th season at the helm of the Vikings, and owns a 343-209 (.621) overall record at CSU. Under Voss the Vikings have recorded 15 winning seasons, including nine straight entering the 2018 season. Cleveland State has eclipsed the 20-win mark eight times since Voss took over the program, and has captured Horizon League Tournament titles five times (2007, 2012, 2015, 2016 & 2017) under his guidance. During the 2016 season, Voss became the all-time winningest coach in program history and became the the only active Horizon League coach to reach the 300-win mark at their current school.
UP NEXT
The Vikings will continue Horizon League play at home next weekend, hosting Northern Kentucky on Friday, September 28 and Wright State on Saturday, September 29.
