Nov. 10, 2011
Contact: Renee Adam
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Loyola (4-20, 1-13 HL) at Cleveland State (18-7, 11-3 HL)
Date: Friday, Nov. 11, 2011
Time: 7:00 p.m. EDT
Site: Woodling Gym (3,000), Cleveland, Ohio
Series: Loyola leads, 26-11
Last Mtg.: CSU 3, Loyola 0 (10/18/11)
Match 27
Green Bay (10-16, 6-8 HL) at Cleveland State
Date: Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011
Time: 4:00 p.m. EDT
Site: Woodling Gym (3,000), Cleveland, Ohio
Series: CSU leads, 29-15
Last Mtg.: CSU 3, Green Bay 0 (10/4/11)
QUICK SETS: The Cleveland State volleyball team will close out the regular season with a two-match homestand this weekend, as the Vikings host Loyola at 7:00 p.m. on Friday (Nov. 11) and Green Bay at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday (Nov. 12). Entering the final weekend of regular season action, the Vikings have clinched the No. 2 seed in the Horizon League Tournament, while Loyola and Green Bay are still fighting for their positions in the standings.
REVIEWING LAST WEEK: With a pair of victories over UIC and Valparaiso last weekend, the Vikings were able to clinch the No. 2 seed in the Horizon League Tournament. Following are brief recaps of those matches:
Match 24: CSU 3, UIC 2 (Nov. 4, Cleveland, Ohio)
Behind CSU match records from Kara Koch (35 kills) and Amy Grabiec (39 digs), the Vikings posted a come-from-behind 3-2 victory over UIC. Along with Koch, the Viking offense was led by Ally Beck who tallied a career-high 15 kills and Jackie Dabbelt who posted 10. Jordan Goad posted a career-best 62 assists, and Megan Barhorst tallied a season-best six blocks.
Match 25: CSU 3, Valparaiso 1 (Nov. 5, Cleveland, Ohio)
After milestone performances from Kara Koch and Amy Grabiec the Vikings won their second straight contest, topping Valparaiso, 3-1. With a match-high 22 kills Koch reached the 1,000-kill milestone, while Grabiec moved into second place on the CSU all-time career digs list with a team-high 15. Goad posted 41 assists and 10 digs, while Marie Frease tallied a career-best eight blocks.
PREVIEWING THE VIKINGS: Expectations are once again high for the Vikings as four starters and the libero are back from last year's 22-7 team as CSU sets out to reach the league title match for the fourth time in the last five seasons. Headlining the returnees is senior setter Jordan Goad (10.39 aps) who earned first team All-Horizon League honors for the second straight season last year. She will be backed up by sophomore Annie Djukic (2.25 aps) who filled in for Goad by making five starts a year ago. Junior outside hitter Kara Koch (4.10 kps, 2.98 dps), a first team all-league pick last year, is back as the most experienced attacker on the team. Senior Kourtney Volkmer (0.93 kps) and freshman Ally Beck (1.74 kps) will both fight for time. Sophomore Jackie Dabbelt (.330, 2.21 kps) will man the right side after earning a spot on the all-newcomer team last year, while senior Megan Barhorst (1.93 kps, 0.78 bps), junior Marie Frease (.292, 2.21 kps) and freshmen Maggie Hannon and Molly King will patrol the middle. Senior Amy Grabiec (4.41 dps) returns as the libero for the second straight season to lead a talented and experienced backrow. Also returning are juniors Brittany Holland (2.00 dps) and Amanda Medvetz (1.91 dps) and senior Whitney Dalessandro (0.29 dps).
RECORD SETTING MATCH VS. UIC: Kara Koch and Amy Grabiec both posted CSU records against the Flames last Friday (Nov. 4), Koch with 35 kills and Grabiec with 39 digs. Koch's 35 kills topped the previous match record of 33 that was set by Tenille Whiteside in 1996, while Grabiec's 39 digs topped Elisa Caraulia's 37 that she recorded in 1987.
CAREER-HIGH NIGHT: Four Vikings also posted career-highs against UIC, including Amy Grabiec (39 digs), Ally Beck (15 kills, seven digs), Jordan Goad (62 assists) and Kara Koch (35 kills). Grabiec and Koch's marks lead the Horizon League, while Goad's 62 assists ranks second.
KOCH NOTCHES 1,000th KILL: After combining for 57 kills during the two matches last weekend, junior Kara Koch became the 14th Viking to record 1,000 career kills. Koch, who is the 10th Viking to reach the milestone under head coach Chuck Voss, enters the final week of the regular season with 1,005 kills in her career and ranks second in the league averaging 4.10 kills per set.
GRABIEC MOVES INTO SECOND ON CAREER LIST: Following a career-high 39 digs against UIC last Friday and 15 against Valparaiso last Saturday, senior Amy Grabiec moved into second place on the CSU all-time career digs list. Grabiec, who has 1,418 digs in her career, replaced Emily Clark who posted 1,406 digs from 2002 through 2005.
HL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: For their record setting performances last weekend, Kara Koch and Amy Grabiec earned Horizon League Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week accolades. It marked the first time this season that both the offensive and defensive players of the week came from the same school. The honor was Koch's second of the season, while it was the first for Grabiec.
...KOCH EARNS NATIONAL AWARD: Along with her Horizon League weekly honor, Kara Koch was named the Collegiate Volleyball Update National Player of the Week following her performances against UIC and Valparaiso. Koch is the first Viking to earn the award, and just the fifth honoree from the Horizon League.
LEAGUE LEADERS: After 10 weeks of play, CSU has a strong hold on the Horizon League statistical categories, as a Viking ranks in the top-five in five of the six categories. Below are the Vikings that rank in the top-five:
Hitting %: Jackie Dabbelt-2nd-.330 & Marie Frease-4th-.292
Kills: Kara Koch-2nd-4.10/set
Assists: Jordan Goad-4th-10.39/set
Service Aces: Megan Barhorst-3rd-0.34/set
Digs: Amy Grabiec-5th-4.41/set
CSU IN THE NCAA STATS: After leading the Horizon League in assists (12.89 per set), service aces (1.57) and hitting percentage (.235) this week, the Vikings also rank in the top-50 in two of the categories in the NCAA weekly statistics. CSU ranks 26th in service aces and 43rd in assists among Division I schools, and is one of just three Horizon League schools to rank in the top-50 in either category.
SENIOR DAY: Saturday's match against Green Bay will serve as Senior Day for CSU's five seniors; Kourtney Volkmer, Amy Grabiec, Jordan Goad, Whitney Dalessandro and Megan Barhorst. The group has led the Vikings to 77 wins over the last four seasons, including 42 in league play. The seniors have also guided CSU to back-to-back Horizon League Championship appearances during 2008 and 2009 and a semifinal appearance last season.
NEXT UP: The Vikings will travel to Milwaukee, Wis. for the Horizon League Tournament which will be hosted by Regular Season Champions Milwaukee and run from Friday, November 18 through Sunday, November 20.
