MATCH #12
@ IUPUI | Tuesday, September 19 | 6:00 p.m.
MATCH #13
Robert Morris | Friday, September 22 | 6:00 p.m.
MATCH #14
Youngstown State | Saturday, September 23 | 4:00 p.m.
QUICK SETS
The Cleveland State volleyball team will open its 18-match Horizon League slate with a trio of matches this week; traveling to IUPUI for a 6:00 p.m. contest on Tuesday, September 19, before hosting Robert Morris at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, September 22 and Youngstown State at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 23.
ENTERING THE WEEK...
The Vikings stand at 6-5 on the year…Cleveland State owns a 12-11 record in #HLVB openers under head coach Chuck Voss; including three straight wins.
VIKINGS TABBED FIFTH IN #HLVB PRESEASON POLL
Prior to the 2023 campaign starting, the Vikings were tabbed to finish fifth in the #HLVB Preseason Poll, earning 66 votes. Cleveland State finished behind league favorite Wright State, Northern Kentucky, Green Bay, and Milwaukee.
VIKING BLOCK PARTY
Through 11 matches played, the Vikings are one of the best blocking teams in the nation, ranking fourth among Division I teams with 120.0 total team blocks on the year. Cleveland State has tallied double-digit team blocks six times this season, while the Vikings hold the top three performances among #HLVB teams so far this year with 24.0 blocks against Bucknell, 15.0 blocks against Kent State and 15.0 blocks at Akron.
…INDIVIDUALS ON THE BLOCK
Individually, Madison Olinger leads the Horizon League averaging 1.13 blocks per set so far this season, while JeriLynn Koehler ranks fourth with 1.09 blocks per set and Ainslie McLaughlin sits ninth with 0.90 blocks per set. Olinger has combined for 44 total blocks through the first 11 matches, while Karly Klaer and McLaughlin both have 28 blocks so far this season.
CLEVELAND STATE GOES THE DISTANCE
So far this season the Vikings have played a handful of five-set contests, including in each of the last three matches. Cleveland State owns a 3-2 record when playing all five sets, most recently picking up a 3-2 victory at Akron. Entering #HLVB play, the Vikings lead all league teams in five-set matches played.
WALKER LEADING THE VIKING DEFENSE
Through the first four weeks of the 2023 campaign, libero Emma Walker has been leading the Viking defense, averaging 4.84 digs per set to rank third among #HLVB players. Walker, who has notched 30+ digs in each of the last three matches, leads the league with four 30-dig performances on the season.
FRESHMEN TRIO MAKING AN IMPACT
Throughout non-league play the freshmen trio of Nia Hall, JeriLynn Koehler and Reilly Wadden have been making an impact on the Cleveland State lineup, combining for 95 sets played and seven matches started. Koehler ranks second on the team averaging 1.09 blocks per set, while Hall ranks third with 1.93 kills per set and Wadden is averaging 1.68 digs per set as an integral part of the Viking back row.
KLAER ECLIPSES 1,000 ASSISTS
With a then season-high 41 assists against Miami (OH) earlier this season, sophomore Karly Klaer eclipsed the 1,000-assist mark for her career, and enters the week with 1,228 total helpers. Klaer, who ranks fifth among #HLVB players averaging 8.11 assists per set, is also averaging 2.89 digs per set this season, recording a team-best seven double-doubles on the year.
VOSS PICKING UP WHERE SHE LEFT OFF
After posting a team-high and CSU Freshman Class Record 389 total kills last season, sophomore Laken Voss is picking up right where she left off, combining for 120 kills through the first four weeks of the season. Voss, who ranks ninth in the Horizon League averaging 3.08 kills per set this season, has recorded double-digit kills seven times, including a season-high 17 kills at Miami (OH).
HEAD COACH CHUCK VOSS
Chuck Voss is in his 24th season at the helm of the Vikings, and owns a 399-284 (.584) 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 is closing in on becoming the only active Horizon League coach to reach the 400-win mark at their current school.
UP NEXT
Cleveland State will close out the month of September with another trio of #HLVB matches, hosting Purdue Fort Wayne (Tuesday, September 26) and traveling to Northern Kentucky (Friday, September 29) and Wright State (Saturday, September 30).
