MATCH #7
Oakland | Monday, February 15 | Woodling Gym | 6:00 p.m.
Live Stats | Live Video
MATCH #8
Oakland | Tuesday, February 16 | Woodling Gym | 5:00 p.m.
Live Stats | Live Video
QUICK SETS
The Cleveland State volleyball team will return home for two matches against Oakland this week, hosting the Grizzlies on Monday, February 15 and Tuesday, February 16. The Vikings enter the week with an even 3-3 record on the year, while Oakland is currently 2-2 this season.
ENTERING THE WEEK…
The Vikings will be looking for their second series sweep of the season…Cleveland State will try to extend its current home winstreak to three matches…The Vikings will be looking to improve to 6-2 against Oakland over the last four years.
SCOUTING THE GRIZZLIES
Oakland enters the week with an even 2-2 record on the year after picking up back-to-back wins against Robert Morris in the season opener and dropping two matches to Wright State last time out…Earlier this year, the Grizzlies were selected to finish fifth in the Horizon League Preseason Poll…Entering the week, Jessica Riedl leads the league with a .483 hitting percentage, while Oakland ranks second averaging 18.13 digs per set as a team.
2021 #HLVB PLAY
This year's Horizon League schedule will have a different look to it, as the Vikings will face the same opponent in back-to-back matches each week. Cleveland State is scheduled to host three more #HLVB series against, Oakland, Robert Morris and Youngstown State, while the Vikings will still travel to Purdue Fort Wayne and Wright State throughout the rest of the season.
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
Monday's match against the Grizzlies will mark the third of what is scheduled to be an eight-match home slate for the Vikings in Woodling Gymnasium this season. Over the last six years Cleveland State has combined for a 47-15 record when playing at home, including a trio of 11-win seasons during the 2018, 2016 and 2015 campaigns. The Vikings have also captured four of their five #HLVB Tournament Titles on their home court, with the last coming during 2017.
PENFIELD IN THE #HLVB STANDINGS
Entering the fourth week of the 2021 campaign, sophomore Chelsea Penfield is leading the Horizon League with 27 total blocks this year. Penfield, who notched a career-best nine total blocks at NKU last time out, is averaging 1.23 blocks per set. Through the first six matches, Penfield has tallied four or more total blocks in all but one contest, and has helped the Vikings to a second place standing as a team averaging 2.34 blocks per set.
MILLER LEADING THE VIKING OFFENSE
Freshman Abby Miller continues to lead the Viking offense, serving as Cleveland State's primary setter through the first three #HLVB series. So far this season, Miller is averaging 8.59 assists per set to rank third among league players. As just the third freshman to lead the Viking offense as the primary setter over the last 13 seasons, Miller has combined for 189 assists this season, including a season-high 45 at Northern Kentucky last time out (2/9/21).
VIKINGS FROM THE SERVICE LINE
Entering this week's series against Oakland the Vikings have combined for 34 service aces through the first six matches, including eight from freshman Abby Miller. The Vikings are averaging 1.55 aces per set, and posted a season-high nine against Milwaukee earlier this year (2/2/21). So far this season, at least one Viking has posted two or more aces in every match, with a season-high coming from Emily DeGeorge when she notched four at Green Bay (1/26/21).
PORTIS ON THE ATTACK
Last time out, London Portis notched a career-high with a team-best 16 kills at Northern Kentucky, marking her third double-digit kill match of the season. Through six matches, Portis is averaging 2.55 kills per set on a team-high .331 hitting percentage. Portis enters the week ranked seventh among #HLVB players with her .331 clip, while she is just shy of a spot in the top-10 kills per set standings.
KUCIA IN THE CSU BACK ROW
Last time out, freshman Caroline Kucia served as the Cleveland State libero for the first time during her collegiate career, finishing with a season-high 14 digs at NKU. Kucia, who has played in all 22 sets as an integral part of the Viking back row, is averaging 2.27 digs per set. The 14-dig effort against the Norse last week marked her first double-digit dig match of the year, as she now has 50 total digs this season.
CAREER RECORD BOOK TRACKING: HANNAH GREENE
Entering the week, senior Hannah Greene is ranked in the top-10 in a pair of CSU Career Record Book categories, as she is ninth in block assists with 292 and 10th in solo blocks with 54. Greene moved into ninth place in block assists after combining for four against NKU last time out, while she needs just three block assists or solo blocks to move up in both categories.
CAREER RECORD BOOK TRACKING: EMILY DEGEORGE
Senior Emily DeGeorge moved into eighth place on the CSU Career Digs List following the NKU series last time out, entering the week with 1,188 career digs. DeGeorge combined for 28 digs against the Norse, including 22 in the series finale to mark the 13th 20-dig match of her career. Entering Monday's match against Oakland, DeGeorge has tallied 64 double-digit dig matches during her time at CSU, and needs just three more digs to move into a tie for seventh place.
SCHOEN NAMED CLEVELAND STATE SAAC PRESIDENT
Prior to the 2020-21 academic school year, Cleveland State senior Halle Schoen was named the Cleveland State SAAC President, and will serve in the role for the remainder of the year. This will be Schoen's third year as an active member of CSU SAAC, as she was the Community Service Co-Chair as a junior and an active Board Member as a sophomore.
VIKINGS POST STRONG SEMESTER IN THE CLASSROOM
With the 2020 Fall Semester in the books, the Vikings posted one of their best semesters in program history, finishing with a 3.86 Team GPA for the term - the highest GPA among all 18 Cleveland State teams last semester. In addition, six Vikings were named to the Cleveland State President's List3.90+ (Halle Schoen, Audrey McConihe, Lydia Latimer, Keanna Avery, Sarah Green, Abby Miller), while nine Vikings earned a spot on the Cleveland State Dean's List3.25+ (Hannah Greene, Emily DeGeorge, Lindsey Tout, Chelsea Penfield, Peyton Bloomer, Caroline Kucia, Madalynn Butler, Ainslie McLaughlin, Sam Snow).
HEAD COACH CHUCK VOSS
Chuck Voss is in his 21st season at the helm of the Vikings, and owns a 365-237 (.606) overall record at Cleveland State. Under Voss the Vikings have recorded 16 winning seasons, including a streak of 10 straight from 2009 to 2018. Cleveland State has eclipsed the 20-win mark eight times since Voss took over the program, and has captured Horizon League Tournament titles five times (2007, 2012, 2015, 2016 & 2017) under his guidance. During the 2016 season Voss became the all-time winningest coach in program history, and then later became the only active Horizon League coach to reach the 350-win mark at their current school.
UP NEXT
The Vikings will hit the road once again for a two-match series at Purdue Fort Wayne on Monday, February 22 and Tuesday, February 23.
