Friday, September 21
Cleveland State def. Green Bay, 3-1 (25-19, 25-19, 18-25, 31-29)
Loyola def. Wright State, 3-1 (18-25, 25-9, 25-21, 25-14)
Milwaukee def. Youngstown State, 3-1 (23-25, 25-17, 25-15, 25-21)
UIC def. Valparaiso, 3-1 (25-20, 21-25, 26-24, 26-24)
The 2012 Horizon League Volleyball Conference Season started on Friday night with four tight matches. All four matches finished with final scores of 3-1, but all four winning teams had to battle through some adversity to claim victory. UIC was tied at one with Valparaiso before winning the third and fourth sets by identical scores of 26-24 to take the match. Cleveland State took a 2-0 lead over Green Bay into intermission, but the Phoenix won the third set before the Vikings finally closed out GB by taking the fourth set, 31-29. Loyola and Milwaukee were the final victors on Friday night, but both teams had to battle back from 1-0 deficits after both teams lost the first set of their matches.
Cleveland State 3, Green Bay 1
The Cleveland State volleyball team opened Horizon League play Friday evening, earning a 3-0 sweep over the Green Bay Phoenix. Friday's victory improved CSU's overall record to 9-5 this season, while it also extended CSU's win streak over Green Bay to 15 straight matches.
The senior duo of Marie Frease and Kara Koch once again led the Vikings, Frease with 16 kills and six blocks and Koch with 19 kills, 24 digs and four blocks. The contest marked the sixth straight match that Frease has recorded double-digit kills and the sixth time this season that Koch has recorded a double-double. Dayna Roberts captained the offense for the first time this season, recording a career-best 43 assists, while also adding 10 digs and four blocks. Ally Beck also recorded a career-high for the Vikings, posting 11 digs, while Amanda Medvetz recorded her third 20-dig match of the season with 28 against the Phoenix.
During the opening set the Vikings and Phoenix battled back and forth for the first half of the frame, before CSU was able to gain a seven-point lead at the 15-8 mark after winning seven of eight straight points. During that span the Vikings got kills from Frease, Maggie Hannon and Koch. CSU held at least a three-point lead for the rest of the set, closing the frame on kills from Roberts and Hannon.
The second set was much of the same, as neither team held more than a two-point lead until the 15-12 mark when CSU gained the three-point advantage on a Jackie Dabbelt kill. The Vikings held a lead for the rest of the frame, earning the 25-19 victory on a Christina Toth kill and a Green Bay error.
After dropping the third set, CSU came out firing during the fourth frame, gaining a six-point lead (12-6) midway through the set. Although Green Bay was able to take the lead at 19-18, the Vikings eventually pulled out the 31-29 victory. Green Bay and Cleveland State combined to fight off six set points at the end of the frame, before the Vikings were finally able to post three straight points on a Frease kill and two Phoenix errors.
Green Bay (7-6, 0-1) was led by Leah Van Zeeland who had 15 kills as she was the only Phoenix player to reach double figures in the match. Brittany Groth was one of five GB players to record double-digit digs, finishing with a match-high 31.
Loyola 3, Wright State 1
Senior Anna Eytchison pounded out a career-high 28 kills and Loyola shook off a slow start to knock off Wright State 3-1 (18-25, 25-9, 25-21, 25-14) tonight in the Horizon League opener for both teams at Gentile Arena.
Loyola got off to a slow start, falling behind 6-2 in the opening set on a Marisa Aiello kill. A Laura Purcell kill helped the Ramblers stay within four but they struggled to string points together and the visitors racked up a handful of set points, taking a 24-16 lead on an Anna Norman kill. Purcell had a kill and a block to help LU stave off two set points before a WSU block closed out a 25-18 win. Loyola hit just .154 in the frame while Wright State was efficient, hitting .233 with just four errors.
The little momentum that Loyola picked up towards the end of the first set carried over into the second and Kathleen Vogel opened the frame with consecutive aces. After a service error gave Wright State its first point at 3-1, Stephanie Kinane served up eight straight points as the Ramblers took a commanding 12-1 lead. Eytchison had three kills and teamed with Nichole Riedel for two blocks in the spurt. The hosts kept their foot on the gas, taking an 18-5 lead on a Libby Bresser kill, and Vogel eventually closed out a 25-9 win with her fourth kill of the set. The Ramblers rebounded to hit .483 (16-2-29) in the set with Eytchison hammering down seven of those 16 kills.
The teams traded points to 5-all in the third set before Loyola gained some breathing room. Two Vicki Wrobel aces helped the Ramblers rattle off five straight points to open a lead and they extended it to eight (16-8) after consecutive Eytchison kills. Wright State made a bit of a run, closing to within four (19-15) on a Dani Branco kill, but another Wrobel ace helped LU build the lead back to six (22-16) and Eytchison's 10th kill of the set wrapped up a 25-21 win to give Loyola a 2-1 lead in the match.
The fourth set took on a similar pattern, as the teams were tied at 6-6 until the Ramblers took control. A solo block by Riedel after a long rally gave LU the lead and the junior middle served up the next five points to help Loyola extend to a 12-6 lead. The teams traded points through the middle stages of the set before the Ramblers put it away. Two kills from Eytchison and single kills from Purcell and Vogel made it a 20-12 game and Kristen Haggenjos was able to secure the last three points from the service line, with Riedel and Maureen Carls teaming up for a block on match point to close out the win.
After the opening set hiccup, Loyola hit .361 over the final three sets. Eytchison was terrific, hammering her 28 kills at a .510 efficiency (28-3-49), to lead the way. Vogel notched her first career double-double with 13 kills and 12 digs while Purcell also reached double figures, finishing with 12 kills. Wright State was led Heidi Splinter who led the Raiders with 15 kills and 15 digs.
Milwaukee 3, Youngstown State 1
Four players reached double-figures in kills and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee hit .305 as a team in claiming a 23-25, 25-17, 25-15, 25-21 win over Youngstown State Friday night in the Horizon League opener for both team.
UWM's defense was also strong, as the Panthers limited the Penguins to a .135 hitting clip. Anna Bartz led the way with 26 digs.
Julie Kolinske had 19 kills to spearhead the offense, which also got 16 kills from Rachel Neuberger, 12 from Sammi Herron and 11 from Elizabeth Egerer.
Hannah Blanchard, making her first career start at setter in place of injured all-league setter Kayla Price, had 50 assists and flawlessly directed the attack.
The Panthers have now won 26-straight regular season league matches dating back to October of 2010.
The Panthers started slowly but still nearly rallied to win the first set. UWM trailed 13-10 after two-straight errors and was still down 18-14 following a kill from Shannon Watson. Milwaukee fought back, tying the frame at 22 on a block by Kolinske and Nicole Latzig. But YSU scored three of the next four points to wrap things up, finishing the set on a kill by Missy Hundelt.
Milwaukee evened the match by controlling the second set. UWM scored eight of the first 10 points of the frame and led 15-6 following a kill by Neuberger. The lead hit 19-9 on a solo block by Neuberger and Milwaukee was never seriously threatened after that. A kill by Kolinske pushed the Panthers to set point and another Kolinske kill eventually wrapped it up.
The Panthers continued rolling into the third set. UWM scored six of the first eight points and then led 13-7 after a YSU error. The lead was still 18-12 following a block by Neuberger and Kolinske and the Panthers pulled away from there. A block by Kolinske and Latzig pushed the edge to 22-13 and it was another kill from Kolinske that finished off the frame.
The fourth set was tighter but Milwaukee maintained control throughout. A kill by Kolinske put UWM ahead 11-6 in the early going and an Egerer kill made it 15-9. YSU did pull to within 18-16 but a kill by Egerer restored a 21-17 lead. Kills from Egerer and Kolinske then finished things out for Milwaukee, getting the Panthers off on the right foot in defense of their league title.
Youngstown State (10-5, 0-1) was led by reigning HL Offensive Player of the Week, Hundelt, who had a team-high 14 kills. Watson also reached double-digits in kills with 10. Alexis Egler had 14 digs, while Casey D’Ambrose (26 assists) and Erin Muir (21 assists) directed the YSU offense.
UIC 3, Valparaiso 1
The UIC volleyball team (7-8, 1-0) captured its first victory over Valparaiso (8-7, 0-1) in nine seasons Friday inside the Flames Athletic Center, outlasting the Crusaders 3-1 (25-20, 21-25, 26-24, 26-24).
Senior Kelsey Safranek and sophomore Molly McCoy posted 17 kills apiece to pilot the Flames. Sophomore Sara Sternard chipped in an additional 11 kills.
Safranek paced the Flames in the opening set as she hammered down seven kills (.200). The UIC squad posted two four-point runs in the set, while outscoring the Crusaders 10-3 to jump out to a seven-point lead, 20-13. Valparaiso then fought back as the team won three-straight points, but the Flames regained their momentum to capture the first set in a 25-20 decision.
With the Flames leading the match 1-0, the teams battled back and forth in the second frame. The UIC squad fought back from a seven-point deficit, but was unable to capture the second set as the Crusaders won 25-21.
In the third set, McCoy led the Flames with seven kills (.400), while Safranek chipped in six. With the Flames leading the set at 25-24 McCoy knocked down the closing kill and point to secure the set, 26-24 and regain the match lead at 2-1.
McCoy piloted the Flames through the fourth and deciding set with five kills. In a set that had eight lead changes, McCoy claimed the three of the final four points in the set to lead the team to a 26-24 victory and a 3-1 win in the match.
Sarah Dooms led the Crusader attack with 15 kills, while also contributing 15 digs. Two-time Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year Taylor Root had a team-high 22 digs to pace four Valpo players in double-figures.
