Oct. 24, 2009
Contact: Greg Murphy
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cleveland State extended its win streak to 11, the Vikings longest win streak since 1976, with a 3-0 sweep over Butler on Saturday evening in Woodling Gym.
Match scores were 25-16, 25-14, 25-17, and helped CSU avenge its lone Horizon League defeat from this year.
The Vikings improved to 22-5 overall and remained in first place in the league at 10-1, while Butler fell to 17-11 overall (7-4 HL).
CSU's 11-match win streak is tied with the 1982 squad which also won 11 in a row. The 1974 team, which was the first team in program history, boasted a 12-match win streak, while the 1976 team holds the school record with a 16-match win streak.
"We came out a little slow today, but were able to find some intensity and get in a really nice rhythm," head coach Chuck Voss said. "I thought we were able to take them out of their rhythm offensively and that helped lead us to some good offensive opportunities. We have been playing some great team volleyball for the last six weeks or so and we have to continue to stay mentally strong and play within our system."
Beth Greulich led the Vikings with 13 kills, hitting .357 at the net, while Liz Fazio added 10 kills and eight digs (.280). Kara Koch chipped in seven kills.
Jordan Goad dished out 33 assists with seven digs and five kills and Amy Grabiec finished with a match-best 13 digs.
CSU hit .264, while the Viking defense limited Butler to a -.010 hitting percentage. CSU finished with nine blocks and forced the Bulldogs into 23 attack errors.
Butler took a 6-2 lead to open the match only to watch the Vikings use an 18-9 run to assume a 20-11 lead on a Greulich kill. The Bulldogs would score the next three points to cut the lead to 20-14, but would get no closer.
Goad served the Vikings to six straight points to open the second set, giving CSU a quick 6-0 lead. A Goad service error gave Butler its first point of the set, but CSU scored the next five points, including a pair of kills from Greulich, to take an 11-1 lead as the Bulldogs would get no closer than seven points the rest of the way.
CSU once again jumped out quickly in the third set, taking a 4-1 lead on a pair of kills from Kara Koch and one from Greulich.
Butler would battle back to tie the set at 11-11 and was within two points (18-16) late in the set. However, kills from Goad and Fazio pushed the CSU lead to 20-16 as the Vikings closed the match on a 7-1 run to earn their 17th sweep of the season.
CSU is now 17-1 in three set matches this year.
The Vikings will be back in action next weekend with a pair of matches in Chicago, Ill., beginning with an 8:00 p.m. EST contest at Loyola on Friday (Oct. 30). CSU will then head to UIC on Saturday (Oct. 31) for a 5:00 p.m. EST match.
