FAIRBORN, Ohio – The Cleveland State volleyball team closed out its final road trip of the 2021 regular season Tuesday, dropping a hard fought five-set match at league-leading Wright State.
Match Stats
• The Viking offense was led by Hannah Greene and Chelsea Penfield with 12 kills each, while Peyton Bloomer added 10 kills.
• Abby Miller finished with 36 assists on the match.
• Four Vikings finished with double-digit digs, including Abby Miller with 22. Emily DeGeorge added 14 digs, while Lindsey Tout added 13 and Audrey McConihe posted 11.
• As a team, the Vikings posted 15.5 total blocks on the match, including eight from Chelsea Penfield and seven from Hannah Greene.
Match Notes
• Tuesday's match marked the first time that the Raiders were forced to five sets in a Horizon League match this season.
• Abby Miller set a season-high with the 22 digs against Wright State, while she notched her eighth double-double of the season as she also posted 36 assists.
• Chelsea Penfield tied her career-high with 12 kills against the Raiders.
• With her 12 kills on the night, Hannah Greene has now posted double-digit kills in eight straight matches.
The Match
After dropping the first set, the Vikings responded with a commanding 25-16 victory during the second frame to tie the match at 1-1.
During the second set the Vikings were in control for the majority of the frame, as they gained an 11-4 lead midway through on a London Portis kill. The Vikings were then able to extend their lead to 15-8, forcing a WSU timeout.
Out of the timeout, the Vikings posted a 4-2 scoring run, forcing another Raider timeout following a Peyton Bloomer and Chelsea Penfield block that gave CSU a 19-10 advantage. Cleveland State then held off a late WSU run, closing out the frame with a pair of Emily DeGeorge kills for the 25-16 victory.
Wright State was then able to pick up a 25-17 victory during the third set to take a 2-1 lead in the match score.
During the fourth frame the two teams traded points over the first few plays, but a 6-0 run from the Vikings gave CSU an 8-2 lead following a Bloomer kill. Although Wright State was able to stop the Viking scoring run with back-to-back points, Cleveland State responded with a Hannah Greene kill followed by a Wright State error, gaining a 10-4 advantage.
The Raiders were able to work their way back into the frame over the next few plays though, as Wright State pulled within one point at the 15-14 mark, and then regained the advantage at 17-16. The two teams then traded points until a 4-0 run from the Vikings – including a trio of kills form DeGeorge and Penfield and a Miller service ace – put Cleveland State back on top by two points at 23-21.
The Vikings were then able to force Wright State into three errors over the final four points of the frame, as Cleveland State earned a 26-24 fourth set victory.
During the fifth and deciding set, the two teams traded points until midway through the frame, when three straight kills from Greene, DeGeorge and Penfield put the Vikings up by three at 9-6. The Raiders then responded with a 9-3 run to close the set, claiming the 3-2 match victory.
Up Next
The Vikings will close out the 2021 regular season at home next week, hosting Youngstown State on Monday, March 15 and Tuesday, March 16.
