Nov. 19, 2009
Contact: Greg Murphy
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Matches #33-34
Horizon League Semifinals vs. No. 4 Butler, No. 5 UIC or No. 6 Green Bay
(will play the lowest remaining seed)
Date: Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009
Time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
Site: Woodling Gym (3,000) - Cleveland, Ohio
Horizon League Championship vs. TBA
(if win in semifinals)
Date: Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009
Time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
Site: Woodling Gym (3,000) - Cleveland, Ohio
QUICK SETS: Top-seeded and Horizon League regular season champions Cleveland State opens the Horizon League Championship with a semifinal match on Saturday, Nov. 21, at 1:00 p.m. in Woodling Gym. The Vikings will play the lowest remaining seed from Friday nights first round contests, meaning CSU could face fourth-seeded Butler, fifth-seeded UIC or sixth-seeded Green Bay. The Vikings enter the tournament at 25-7 overall and concluded the league slated at 13-3. CSU has won 14 of its last 16 matches.
REVIEWING LAST WEEK: Cleveland State defeated Youngstown State to capture its first regular season Horizon League Championship in its only match of the week. Following is a brief recap.
Match 32: CSU 3, Youngstown State 0 (Nov. 13, Cleveland, Ohio)
Cleveland State clinched its first-ever Horizon League regular season title with a 3-0 sweep over Youngstown State. Liz Fazio finished with 11 kills and Beth Greulich added nine, while Jordan Goad handed out 37 assists, helping head coach Chuck Voss to his 200th career victory.
PREVIEWING THE VIKINGS: Head coach Chuck Voss has the Vikings playing some of their best volleyball in recent history, claiming the first Horizon League regular season title in program history and the No. 1 seed in the league championship. Leading the way is 2009 Horizon League Player of the Year and three-time first team all-league pick right side Beth Greulich (3.37 kps, 0.75 bps, .341). Junior middle hitter Amy Benz (2.53, 0.97, .308) and sophomore middle blocker Megan Barhorst (0.95, 0.97, .203) have controlled the middle of the court, while first team all-league setter Jordan Goad (10.91 apg, 2.13 dpg, 1.07 kpg) is in her second season directing the Viking offense. Senior first team all-league outside hitter Liz Fazio (3.65 kpg, 2.70 dpg, .228) is the most experienced outside hitter on the team, while freshman Kara Koch (2.36, 0.97, .204) and sophomore Lindsey Griffith (1.45, 0.61, .048) are also in the mix, making up for the loss of senior Kayla Lefeld missed the season with a knee injury. Sophomore libero Amy Grabiec (2.51 dps) leads an experienced backrow, while junior Meghan Mental (1.91) and freshman Amanda Medvetz (1.35) are defensive specialists who can get the Vikings into their offense with good ball control and passing skills.
WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!: CSU's victory over Youngstown State on Friday, coupled with Valparaiso's loss at Milwaukee, allowed the Vikings to clinch their first regular season Horizon League title. In fact, CSU is just the third team in the league to win a regular season title since 1998, joining Milwaukee, who has won seven, and Loyola, who has won two.
GREULICH PICKS UP TOP LEAGUE HONOR: Senior Beth Greulich capped a brilliant season by being selected as the Horizon League Player of the Year, becoming just the second player in school history to earn the award (Nickole Kennedy, 2005). Greulich enters the league tournament ranked first in the Horizon League and 72nd in the nation in hitting percentage (.341), fifth in kills (3.37) and seventh in points (3.79). She was even better in 16 league contests, hitting .359 with 4.00 kills and 4.44 points per set.
... AND SO DOES VOSS: Head coach Chuck Voss was recognized by his peers in the league, picking up Horizon League Coach of the Year accolades for the second time in his career (2005). The only coach in program history to earn coach of the year honors in school history, Voss led CSU to 25 wins, tied for the sixth most in program history, and the Vikings first-ever regular season league title with a program-record tying 13 conference wins.
FAZIO & GOAD NAMED TO ALL-LEAGUE TEAM: Senior Liz Fazio and sophomore Jordan Goad joined Beth Greulich on the All-Horizon League first team, giving CSU three first team selections for the third time in the last five seasons. Fazio ranks third in the league and 95th in the country in kills (4.05), while also ranking fifth in the league in points (4.05). Goad continues to lead the Horizon League with 10.91 assists per set, good for 39th in Division I, while also ranking second in the league in aces (0.33).
KOCH NAMED TO ALL-NEWCOMER TEAM: Freshman Kara Koch capped her first season with a selection to the Horizon League All-Newcomer team, extending CSU's streak of having at least one player on the squad to five straight years. Koch enters the league championship averaging 2.36 kills and 0.94 digs per set.
LEFELD STEPS ON COURT: Friday's Senior Night proved to be extra special for senior Kayla Lefeld who was honored for her final regular season appearance in Woodling Gym. Lefeld, who tore her ACL just days before preseason practice, missed the entire season, but drew a starting assignment on Senior Night and was on the court for the first point of the match.
VOSS WINS 200th CAREER MATCH: Friday's win over Youngstown State was special for head coach Chuck Voss as he captured his 200th career victory. In 12 years as a head coach, including the last 10 at CSU, Voss claims a 200-168 overall mark.
RPI WATCH: The NCAA released its sixth edition of the volleyball RPI on Monday and the Vikings moved up four spots from last week's rankings to No. 108. It is the highest ranking among the nine league schools with Valparaiso (No. 115) the second highest.
20:20: The win over Wright State on Oct. 16 allowed the Vikings to clinch the eighth 20-win season in school history and the second in the last three years (the 2007 team won 23 matches).
AND GET NO. 25 VS. YOUNGSTOWN STATE: The 3-0 win over Youngstown State on Friday (Nov. 13) gave CSU its 25th victory of the season, tied for the sixth most wins in a season in school history. The 25 wins are the most by a CSU squad since the 1983 team won 29 matches. The school record for wins in a season is 38, set in 1982. The Vikings are one of just 11 Division I teams with at least 25 wins this season.
LEAGUE MARK TIED: Cleveland State captured the first regular season Horizon League title in program history with Friday's win over Youngstown State. That moved the Vikings to 13-3 overall, allowing CSU to tie the 2007 team for most league wins in a season.
QUITE A SEASON: CSU's .781 winning percentage (25-7) is the fourth best in program history and the best in the modern era. It is topped only by CSU's first three seasons as a program, 1972 (11-2; .846), 1973 (12-3; .800) and 1974 (25-6; .806).
ON THE ATTACK: CSU is ranked first in the Horizon League and 30th in Division I with a .251 attack percentage, putting CSU on pace to shatter the school record for hitting percentage in a season, currently held by the 2005 squad (.239).
DEFENSE... DEFENSE... DEFENSE: The Vikings have been equally impressive on the defensive side of the net, leading the Horizon League in opponent hitting percentage (.160). The Vikings are attempting to become the first team since Milwaukee in 2003 to lead the league in both attack percentage and opponent attack percentage.
CSU TO PLAY 33rd MATCH: When the Vikings take the court on Saturday afternoon in the Horizon League semifinals, it will be CSU's 33rd match of the year, the most in program history since the 2003 squad played 34. The Vikings would be able to tie that mark if they advance to Sunday's Horizon League Championship match.
ONE SMART PLAYER: Senior Liz Fazio was recently selected to the CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District Volleyball Second Team. Fazio, who sports a 3.87 grade point average as a biology major, is the first CSU volleyball player to earn a spot on the team since Jenna Maddocks was a first team all-district and third team Academic All-America selection.
QUITE A STREAK: Cleveland State had its 12 match win streak snapped with its loss at UIC on Oct. 31. The streak was tied for the second longest in school history with the 1974 squad and trails just the 1976 team that won a school record 16 consecutive matches.
UP NEXT: Should CSU win the Horizon League Championship, the Vikings would advance to the NCAA Championship for the second time in three seasons. The official announcement will be made on Sunday (Nov. 29) at 3:00 p.m. on ESPNews.
