MATCH #12
@ Robert Morris | Friday, September 24 | Moon Township, Pa. | 6:00 p.m.
MATCH #13
@ Youngstown State | Saturday, September 28 | Youngstown, Ohio | 2:00 p.m.
CLEVELAND STATE MATCH NOTES | LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
QUICK SETS
Following a 13-match non-league schedule, the Cleveland State volleyball team will begin Horizon League play this weekend, kicking off its 18-match #HLVB slate at Robert Morris and Youngstown State. The Vikings (2-9) will open league play at RMU on Friday, September 24 before traveling to YSU on Saturday, September 25.
CLEVELAND STATE IN THE HORIZON LEAGUE
The Vikings, who will be playing their 21st season of Horizon League play, enter the 2021 #HLVB season as five-time Regular Season Champions. Under head coach Chuck Voss, the Vikings own a 182-120 record in regular season Horizon League matches.
…CLEVELAND STATE IN HORIZON LEAGUE OPENERS
Under head coach Chuck Voss, the Vikings own an 12-8 record in Horizon League openers, and have gone 7-3 over the last 10 seasons. Friday's contest at Robert Morris will mark the 14th time that the Vikings will open league play on the road, and the first time that they will face the Colonials in the #HLVB opener.
ROAD WARRIORS
During the 2021 season the Vikings played their entire non-league slate away from home, and will play their first 13 matches - including this weekend's league contests - on the road. During this stretch the Vikings will travel to six different states and will cover over 3,400 miles - 930+ of which came last weekend when Cleveland State traveled to Evansville, Ind.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM HONORS
Through non-league play Cleveland State had three players earn All-Tournament Team recognition; London Portis (Baltimore Invitational), Audrey McConihe (Eagle Challenge) and Ainslie McLaughlin (Colgate Invitational). All three Vikings were named to an All-Tournament Team for the first time in their collegiate careers.
McCONIHE LEADING THE VIKING DEFENSE
Junior libero Audrey McConihe enters #HLVB play ranked 10th among league players averaging 3.55 digs per set this season. Through the first 13 matches, McConihe has posted double-digit digs seven times, including a pair of 20-dig matches against Morehead State (22) and Princeton (25). The 25 digs against Princeton marked a career-high for the junior, while it marked just her second 20-dig match as a Viking.
BLOOMER & PENFIELD ON OFFENSE
So far this season Peyton Bloomer and Chelsea Penfield have been Cleveland State's top offensive threats, combining for 139 total kills through the first 11 matches. Entering league play, Bloomer is averaging a team-high 2.32 kills per set, while Penfield is averaging 1.58 kills per set. Both Bloomer and Penfield recorded career-highs at Morehead State earlier this year, Bloomer with 17 kills and Penfield with 14.
POSTSEASON HONOREE MILLER RETURNS
Sophomore Abby Miller returns following an excellent rookie season in which she was named to the Horizon League All-Freshman Team. During the adjusted 2020 campaign, Miller led the league averaging 9.95 assists per set, helping the Viking offense to a .221 clip - the fourth best hitting percentage among league teams. Last season, Miller also averaged 2.63 digs per set and combined for 14 service aces.
…SO FAR THIS SEASON
Entering league play, Abby Miller ranks fifth among Horizon League players averaging 7.34 assists per set as the highest ranked Viking in the individual #HLVB stat categories. Miller posted a season-high 41 assists at Morehead State during the Eagle Challenge, while she currently has 802 assists on her career after missing the final weekend of non-league play.
VIKINGS POST STRONG SEMESTER IN THE CLASSROOM
With the 2021 Spring Semester in the books, the Vikings posted one of their best semesters in program history, finishing with a 3.77 Team GPA for the term - one of seven Cleveland State teams to post a 3.75+ GPA last semester. In addition, four Vikings were named to the Cleveland State President's List3.90+ (Keanna Avery, Lydia Latimer, Abby Miller, Lindsey Tout), while seven returning Vikings earned a spot on the Cleveland State Dean's List3.25+ (Peyton Bloomer, Madalynn Butler, Sarah Green, Audrey McConihe, Ainslie McLaughlin, Madison Quirino, Sam Snow).
HEAD COACH CHUCK VOSS
Chuck Voss is in his 22nd season at the helm of the Vikings, and owns a 373-250 (.598) overall record at Cleveland State. Under Voss the Vikings have recorded 17 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
For the first time during the 2021 campaign the Vikings will play in the friendly confines of Woodling Gymnasium, welcoming IUPUI (Tuesday, September 28) and Oakland (Friday, October 1) for their first home series of the season.
