CLEVELAND, Ohio – Despite double-digit kills from Grace Kauth, Maggie Hannon and Kerry Winchester, the Cleveland State volleyball team dropped a five-set thriller to Green Bay Friday evening, falling to 14-12 on the season and 4-9 in Horizon League play.
Set scores against the Phoenix were 26-24, 25-18, 23-25, 22-25, 15-10.
Hannon and Kauth both notched 14 kills to lead the Vikings, while Winchester tallied 11. Annie Djukic and Dayna Roberts once again split setting duties, Djukic posting 25 assists and Roberts adding 23. Nikki Holmes led the CSU defense with 19 digs, while Kauth added 10 for her seventh double-double of the season. Hannon also added a team-high six blocks, while Kelly Kiger added four.
After dropping the first two sets, the Vikings climbed their way back into the match, winning sets three and four. During the third frame, CSU jumped out to a two-point lead at the 12-10 mark, and then posted five of the next six points to extend their lead to six at 17-11. The Vikings controlled play for the rest of the frame, and eventually closed the set on a Hannon kill after Green Bay fought off three set-points.
The fourth frame was much of the same, as the Vikings got out to a multi-point lead during the middle of the set with back-to-back kills from Winchester and Aaliyah Slappy to put the score at 14-9. Green Bay responded with an 8-1 run to take back control of the frame, but CSU would hang with them and eventual gain the advantage once again. A kill from Hannon and a Holmes service ace gave CSU a one-point lead at 18-17, and then a 4-1 run gave the Vikings a four-point lead at 22-18. CSU was then able to close the frame on kills from Christina Toth and Winchester and a Phoenix error.
The Phoenix then controlled play throughout the fifth frame, jumping out to an 11-5 lead before CSU went on a 3-0 run to close the gap to four points (12-8). Green Bay then closed the set on a 3-2 run, including two straight kills to end the match.
The Vikings will conclude the 2013 regular season tomorrow (Saturday, November 16), hosting Milwaukee at 4:00 p.m. Cleveland State will celebrate senior day tomorrow, with festivities set to begin around 3:45 p.m.
