Thursday's contest against Utah will be the first meeting between the two teams, while a matchup against High Point in the second round would be the fourth in program history (CSU leads, 3-0) and a meeting with Purdue would mark the ninth all-time (Purdue leads, 7-1) and the second this season.

 

This will be Cleveland State's fifth appearance in the NCAA Tournament - and third straight trip - with all five tournament appearances coming under current head coach Chuck Voss. The Vikings are 0-4 in NCAA Tournament play, falling to Albany (3-0, 2007), Kansas (3-1, 2012), USC (3-1, 2015), and Arizona (3-0, 2016).

 

The Vikings own a 22-7 overall record, and have won 12 straight matches. Cleveland State finished the non-league portion of its schedule with a 7-4 record earlier this year, including a tournament title from the Chippewa Challenge.

 

For the fourth time in program history - and the third straight season - the Vikings swept the Horizon League titles, picking up both the Regular Season and Tournament crowns during 2017. This marks the fifth time that the Vikings have been Regular Season Champions (2009, 2012, 2015, 2016) and the fifth time that the Vikings have been Tournament Champions (2007, 2012, 2015, 2016). Cleveland State finished the regular season with a 13-3 mark in league action - the second most league wins in program history.

 

After claiming the Horizon League Championship, Cleveland State had three players named to the All-Tournament Team, including outside hitter Sara Skeens who was named the Tournament MVP. Skeens averaged 4.29 kills per set on the weekend, notching a career-high 20 kills against NKU in the semifinals and 10 kills against Green Bay in the championship match. Also earning a spot on the All-Tournament Team were setter Gina Kilner (11.86 assists per set) and middle hitter Trinniti Hall (3.43 kills per set, .513 hitting percentage).

 

Earlier this season the Vikings notched their eighth 20-win season under head coach Chuck Voss and their 17th 20-win season in program history. The Vikings have now recorded three straight 20-win campaigns and enter the NCAA Tournament with a 22-7 record this season - the only Horizon League team to break the 20-win plateau this year. 

 

Chuck Voss is in his 18th season at the helm of the Vikings, and is the all-time winningest coach in program history. Under Voss, the Vikings have eclipsed the 20-win mark eight times, and have captured Horizon League Tournament titles five times (2007, 2012, 2015, 2016 & 2017). Voss is a six-time Horizon League Coach of the Year, including earning the honors earlier this season.

 

The Vikings were well represented in this year's postseason honors from the Horizon League, as Shannon Grega and Gina Kilner both picked up major awards, and Alexis Middlebrooks, Sara Skeens and Emily DeGeorge all earned all-league accolades. This marks the 11th straight season that a Viking has earned All-League honors, while it is the 11th time out of the last 12 seasons that CSU has had a representative on the All-Freshman Team.

 

Grega was named the Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year, along with earning a spot on the All-League First Team. Grega is the first Viking to earn Defensive Player of the Year honors and enters NCAA Tournament play averaging 4.68 digs per set and has led a CSU defense that has held its opponents to a .193 hitting percentage this season. Grega has tallied 533 total digs on the season - one of just three Vikings all-time to eclipse 500 digs in a single season - and enters the NCAA Tournament ranked third in the CSU Career Record Book with 1,477 digs.

 

Kilner was named the Horizon League Setter of the Year for the second straight season, while also picking up First Team All-League honors. For the season, Kilner has 1,237 total assists and has been averaging 10.85 assists per set leading the Vikings to a league-best .255 hitting percentage. Earlier this season, Kilner became just the fifth Viking all-time to eclipse the 4,000-assist mark for her career, and currently ranks third in the CSU Career Record Book with 4,436 total helpers.

 

Middlebrooks picked up All-Horizon League First Team honors for the third straight season, becoming one of seven Vikings to be a three-time all-league honoree. Throughout the season, Middlebrooks has been one of the most efficient offensive threats in the league, averaging 3.06 kills per set on a .318 hitting percentage. Earlier this season, Middlebrooks became the 16th Viking all-time to record 1,000 career kills, and enters the NCAA Tournament just shy of a spot in the top-10 in the CSU Career Record Book with 1,096 total kills.

 

Skeens picked up postseason honors for the second straight season, earning a spot on the Honorable Mention All-League team after averaging a team-best 3.16 kills per set. With 316 total kills this year, Skeens has been a major part of a Viking offense that has been tops in the league throughout the season.

 

DeGeorge was named to the Horizon League All-Freshman Team after appearing in every set for the Vikings playing as a six-rotation player. In her first season of collegiate volleyball, DeGeorge is averaging 1.74 kills, 2.79 digs and 0.39 blocks per set. DeGeorge ranks second on the team with 318 total digs this year, while the 318 digs also marks a freshman class record in the CSU Record Book.

 

During the 2017 season the Vikings played their entire non-league schedule away from home, and played their first 13 matches - including two league contests - on the road. During this stretch the Vikings traveled to six different states and covered over 3,400 miles. For the season, Cleveland State stands at 13-6 in road and neutral site matches.

 

Throughout the 2017 season, Cleveland State has continually been at the top of the Horizon League standings in all major offensive categories, and enters the NCAA Tournament ranked in the top-40 nationally in kills per set (14.00), hitting percentage (.255) and assists per set (13.26). Cleveland State's current hitting percentage of .255 ranks second in the CSU Single-Season Record Book, and marks just the third time in program history that the Vikings have hit at a .250 clip or better.

 

Cleveland State senior Shannon Grega picked up Horizon League All-Academic honors earlier this season, earning the accolade for the second straight season. Grega, a nursing student with a 3.60 GPA, has been named to the Cleveland State Dean's List five times throughout her career, and has earned Athletic Academic honors every year. Grega is on track to graduate next spring and will pursue a job as a pediatric nurse.

 

Earlier this season, senior setter Gina Kilner recorded the first triple-double of her career, posting 46 assists, 14 digs and 10 kills against IUPUI. Kilner, who is just the fourth Viking to record a triple-double under head coach Chuck Voss, is the second #HLVB player to achieve the feat this season (Jordan Lentz, Oakland) and just one of 32 players nationally.