CLEVELAND, Ohio – The top-seeded Cleveland State volleyball team advanced to its eighth Horizon League Championship match under head coach Chuck Voss Saturday afternoon, picking up a hard-fought five-set victory over No. 4 Oakland. The Vikings will now play for the Horizon League Tournament crown at 2:00 p.m. Sunday (November 20) afternoon in Woodling Gymnasium.
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Match Stats
· Grace Kauth led the Viking offense with 19 kills on a .341 hitting percentage, while Alexis Middlebrooks added 15 kills and Aaliyah Slappy and Sara Skeens each posted 13.
· Gina Kilner recorded 47 assists, helping Cleveland State post a .253 hitting percentage as a team.
· Shannon Grega had a team-high 17 digs, while Grace Kauth added 15 digs, and Jordan Verbiak tallied 11 with Rachael Dohar adding 10.
· Aaliyah Slappy recorded a team-best five blocks, while Sydney Mast added four blocks.
Match Notes
· The Vikings advanced to the championship match of the Horizon League Tournament for the eighth time under head coach Chuck Voss, while they will be making their second straight appearance.
· The Vikings now own a 6-2 record in five-set matches this season.
· Grace Kauth recorded her 15th double-double of the season, while she also moved into fourth place in the CSU Career Record book with her 15-dig performance, ending the match with 1,215 career digs.
· As a team, the Vikings set a season-high with their 71 kills against Oakland.
· Cleveland State's 65-assists also marked a single-match high for the season.
The Match
Cleveland State was able to get off to a great start during the first and second sets, as the Vikings cruised to 25-16 and 25-14 victories, respectively. During the opening frame, the Vikings were able to rattle off four straight points to start the set, and then extended their lead to 12-6 midway through following a Grace Kauth kill. Cleveland State was then able to control play throughout the remainder of the frame, and closed out the set with four straight points on a pair of Kauth kills, an Alexis Middlebrooks kill and an Oakland error.
The second set was much of the same, as Cleveland State was able to gain a 17-8 lead midway through the frame following a 7-0 run. The Vikings then carried the momentum through the end of the set, notching seven of the final nine points of the frame for the 25-14 victory.
After dropping the next two sets, the Vikings were forced to play a fifth and deciding set – a set in which the Vikings had to battle for a 15-11 victory. The two teams traded points throughout the first part of the frame, with four ties and two lead changes during this span. After Oakland was able to gain a 10-9 lead, the Vikings responded with two straight points on kills from Kauth and Middlebrooks to turn the momentum in Cleveland State's favor. Although Oakland was able to tie the set at 11-11 on the next play, the Vikings answered with four straight points to advance to their second consecutive Horizon League Championship match. Cleveland State picked up three of its final four points on Oakland errors, while the winning point came on a Middlebrooks kill.
Up Next
· Cleveland State vs. Green Bay – Horizon League Championship – 2:00 p.m. – Sunday, November 20
