#HLVB Teams Open Conference Play Friday Night

After four weeks of non-conference tournament, the eight Horizon League volleyball teams begin League play on Friday night.

All eight matches scheduled for the weekend will be shown on HLN.

Weekend Schedule:
Friday, September 26 (All times ET)
7:00 p.m. - Oakland (8-6) at Youngstown State (9-6) - HLN | Live Stats
7:00 p.m. - Wright State (3-11) at Cleveland State (7-6) - HLN | Live Stats
8:00 p.m. - UIC (6-9) at Milwaukee (5-8) - HLN | Live Stats
8:00 p.m. - Valparaiso (13-1) at Green Bay (2-9) - HLN | Live Stats

Saturday, September 27 (All times ET)
4:00 p.m. - Oakland at Cleveland State - HLN | Live Stats
4:00 p.m. - Wright State at Youngstown State - HLN | Live Stats
5:00 p.m. - UIC at Green Bay - HLN | Live Stats
5:00 p.m. - Valparaiso at Milwaukee - HLN | Live Stats

News and Notes from around the League:
-- Over the past five seasons Cleveland State has posted a 55-21 regular season Horizon League record, and have captured two regular season titles (2009 & 2012). The Vikings have won a program-best 13 league matches three times since the 2009 season.

-- Green Bay, under first-year head coach Sean Burdette, enters Horizon League play after a challenging non-conference schedule. Of the team’s 11 opponents, five have appeared in the AVCA Top-25 poll or received votes for the poll at some point this season.

-- Like the Phoenix, Milwaukee has played a very demanding schedule so far in 2014, as well. If you add up the records of the teams that have defeated Milwaukee so far this season, you get an overall win-loss record of 47-12, a .797 winning percentage.

-- Oakland enters Horizon League play on a hot streak, as the Golden Grizzlies have won six of their last seven matches. Through the first four weeks of action, Oakland leads the Horizon League in service aces per set (1.50) and is third in hitting percentage (.225).

-- Through 15 contests, the 2014 UIC Flames have shown statistical improvements over the 2013 squad in many areas. The Flames are hitting 67 points higher (.217 - .150) and putting down nearly two more kills per set (13.85 – 11.89). UIC ranks 32nd in the nation with 13.08 assists per set and 39th with 13.85 kills per set.

-- The Valparaiso volleyball team carries a 12-match winning streak into the start of Horizon League play this weekend. The Crusaders earned their third straight in-season tournament championship and won a home tournament for the fifth time in seven chances under head coach Carin Avery, last weekend to claim the Crusader Crossroads of America Classic.

-- Wright State is one of the youngest teams in the conference with nine underclassmen, including six freshman, listed on its 13-player roster. The Raiders are led by a freshman in kills (Katie Klusman - 139), assists (Maddie Lohmeier - 458) and digs (Jessie Thornton - 278).

-- Youngstown State is the only HL team to not host a home match in the first month of the season. All 15 of the Penguins non-conference matches have been away from home. The Penguins celebrated several milestones during non-league play. The Penguins were 6-0 for the first time ever, 7-1 for the first time since 2001 and 9-3 for the first time since 1995.