CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland State volleyball team wrapped up play at the CSU Invitational Saturday, splitting their contests against Binghamton and Cincinnati. The Vikings picked up a 3-0 victory against Binghamton to start the day, and then fell to Cincinnati, 3-1 in the tournament finale.
Cleveland State vs. Binghamton
The Scores
25-18, 25-11, 25-18
Match Stats
- Grace Kauth tallied a match-high 13 kills on a .462 hitting percentage (13-1-26).
- Dayna Roberts recorded a match-high 18 digs.
- Alexis Middlebrooks posted seven blocks including two solo blocks.
Match Notes
- Cleveland State improved to 2-0 at home during the 2015 season.
- As a team, CSU recorded 14 blocks – the second 14+ block match of the season.
- The 3-0 victory over Binghamton marked CSU's third straight win.
The Match
The Vikings led from start to finish during the opening set, jumping out to a 5-0 lead and then extending their advantage to 11-4 following kills from Grace Kauth and Alexis Middlebrooks. Although Binghamton was eventually able to close the gap and come within one point multiple times throughout the middle part of the frame, CSU rattled off four straight points to regain a five-point lead at 21-16. The Vikings then closed out the frame on a 4-2 run, ending the set with a Mariah Carrero-Johnson kill.
Cleveland State was able to pick up an easy 25-11 victory during the second set, and then battled for its seven-point win in the third and final frame. During the third set, both teams traded points until midway through, when the Vikings distanced themselves following a Kauth kill and a Binghamton error to put the score at 15-12. The Vikings then held at least a two-point lead for the remainder of the frame, picking up their second win of the weekend.
Cleveland State vs. Cincinnati
The Scores
25-15, 17-25, 25-16, 26-24
Match Stats
- The trio of Christina Toth (14 kills), Grace Kauth (14) and Alexis Middlebrooks (10) led the Viking offense combining for 38 of CSU's 48 kills.
- Dayna Roberts tied her career-high with 21 digs against Cincinnati.
- Aaliyah Slappy posted a team-high four blocks.
Match Notes
- Grace Kauth was named to the All-Tournament Team for the second straight week, earning the honor after combining for 39 kills (3.55 per set) and 25 digs (2.27) on the weekend.
The Match
The Vikings came up just short in the tournament finale Saturday evening, dropping a hard-fought contest against Cincinnati. Cleveland State's lone set win came in the second frame, when CSU captured a 25-17 victory against the Bearcats. The Vikings also gave UC all they could handle in the fourth and final frame, pushing the set to extra points as Cincinnati picked up a 26-24 victory.
Up Next
- Dayton Invitational – Sept. 11 & 12 – vs. Eastern Illinois, Baylor, Dayton
