MATCH #17
IUPUI | Friday, October 5 | Woodling Gymnasium | 6:00 p.m.
Live Stats | Live Video
MATCH #18
@ Milwaukee | Sunday, October 7 | Milwaukee, Wis. | 3:00 p.m. EST
Live Stats | Live Video
QUICK SETS
The Cleveland State volleyball team will look to stay unbeaten in Horizon League play this weekend, hosting IUPUI on Friday, October 5 and traveling to Milwaukee on Sunday, October 7. The Vikings, who enter the weekend with a 10-6 overall record and a 4-0 mark in #HLVB play, will face the Jaguars at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, before taking on the Panthers at 3:00 p.m. EST on Sunday.
THIS WEEKEND'S OPPONENTS
IUPUI | The Jaguars enter the week with a 5-13 overall record and a 2-2 mark against league opponents, and will host Milwaukee prior to Friday's match at Cleveland State. IUPUI has been victorious in its last two matches, picking up wins against Oakland (3-1) and Youngstown State (3-0). Earlier this season IUPUI was selected to finish fifth in the preseason poll.
Milwaukee | The Panthers currently stand at 2-15 overall this season and 1-3 in league action, with their lone #HLVB victory coming in a 3-1 decision at Wright State in the league opener.
CLEVELAND STATE IN THE HORIZON LEAGUE
The Vikings, who are playing in their 18th season of Horizon League play, entered the 2018 #HLVB season as the three-time defending Regular Season champions. Under head coach Chuck Voss, the Vikings own a 162-96 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 #HLVB PLAY THIS YEAR
After picking up a pair of 3-1 victories against Northern Kentucky and Wright State last weekend, the Vikings are 4-0 to start Horizon League play for just the second time under head coach Chuck Voss (5-0 to start 2015 campaign). Cleveland State enters the third week of #HLVB play as the only undefeated team in the standings, and has won 14 straight regular season league matches dating back to October 11 of last season.
VIKINGS IN WOODLING GYMNASIUM
Cleveland State has enjoyed playing in the comforts of Woodling Gymnasium over the last four seasons, owning a 37-8 overall record when playing at home, including a 24-3 mark in regular season league matches. So far this season, the Vikings own a perfect 3-0 mark against league opponents in Woodling Gymnasium, and haven't lost a regular season league contest at home since September 30 last year.
SKEENS NAMED #HLVB OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
After leading the Viking offense in a pair of 3-1 victories against Northern Kentucky and Wright State last weekend, junior Sara Skeens was named the #HLVB Offensive Player of the Week. Skeens averaged a team-high 3.75 kills per set in the two matches, finishing with a season-high 18 kills against NKU and 12 kills against WSU. Skeens was part of a Viking offense that averaged 13.38 kills per set on the weekend, and posted a .241 team hitting percentage.
…SKEENS PROVIDES OFFENSIVE SPARK
Junior Sara Skeens has been a quiet leader for the Viking offense this season, entering the weekend ranked fourth in the league averaging 3.09 kills per set. Last time out, Skeens combined for 30 kills against NKU and WSU, eclipsing the 750-kill mark for her career. So far this season, she has 164 total kills and has tallied double-digit kills in nine matches.
#HLVB WEEKLY HONORS
So far this season the Vikings have been honored three times by the Horizon League, picking up two Offensive Player of the Week honors and one Defensive Player of the Week accolade. Following the first week of league play, the Vikings swept the weekly #HLVB awards, as Trinniti Hall was named the Offensive Player of the Week and Rachael Dohar was named the Defensive Player of the Week. Sara Skeens picked up Cleveland State's third weekly honor, earning the offensive nod earlier this week.
DeGEORGE RECORDS 30-DIG MATCH AGAINST NKU
Last weekend, sophomore Emily DeGeorge recorded the first 30-dig effort of her career, finishing with a career-high 34 digs against Northern Kentucky. DeGeorge, who is the second Viking to post a 30-dig match this season (Rachael Dohar), was part of a Viking defense that held NKU - the league's best offensive team - to a .149 hitting percentage. DeGeorge's 34 digs marked a single-match high for the Vikings dating back to the 2012 season.
…VIKING DEFENSE HOLDS STRONG
The Cleveland State defense has had a solid start to Horizon League play, averaging a league-best 23.29 digs per set through four matches. Last weekend, the Vikings posted a season-best 110 digs against Northern Kentucky, including a 34-dig effort from Emily Degeorge and a 22-dig performance from Rachael Dohar. So far this season, the Vikings are holding their Horizon League opponents to a .114 hitting percentage - the lowest mark out of all nine league schools.
GREENE ON THE BLOCK
Entering the third week of #HLVB play, sophomore Hannah Greene continues to lead the Horizon League in blocks, averaging 1.41 blocks per set. Greene, who has combined for 83 total blocks this year, also ranks 21st nationally with her 1.41 blocks per set average. Greene has recorded three or more blocks in 15 of the 16 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 2.69 blocks per set, a mark that leads all Horizon League teams entering the third 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 total blocks (159.0). Through 16 matches, Cleveland State has recorded 10.0 or more team blocks eight times, including a season-high 17.0 total team blocks against Binghamton in the season opener.
GRECOL LEADING THE VIKING OFFENSE
So far this season, Cleveland State's offense has been led by freshman Christina Grecol, who enters the weekend with 553 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 9.70 assists per set in all matches, while she leads the league averaging 11.50 assists per set in league matches only. Grecol's season-high performance came against Harvard earlier this season, as she tallied 53 assists in the five-set victory over the Crimson.
UP NEXT
The Vikings will hit the road for a pair of #HLVB matches next weekend, traveling to Green Bay on Friday, October 12 and UIC on Saturday, October 13.
