Horizon League Volleyball Release #14 - NCAA First Round Preview
Nov. 28, 2007
Complete Release in PDF Format 
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Cleveland State will continue its 2007 season against Albany on Friday at 5:00 p.m. in the First Round of the 2007 NCAA Volleyball Championship in University Park, Pa. The Vikings will compete in the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history.
2007 NCAA Volleyball Championship Notes
The Match
Cleveland State will make its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Championship at 5:00 p.m. on Friday as it will meet Albany in the first round of the 2007 NCAA Volleyball Championship. The match will take place in University Park, Pa., on the campus of Penn State University. The first-round pairing will be the first all-time meeting between the two schools.
The Road to the Championship
CSU reached the tournament as it received an at-large berth by winning the Horizon League championship, while Albany won the America East tournament title to earn an automatic berth.
The Bracket
The winner of Friday's Cleveland State-Albany contest will face the winner of the match between top-ranked Penn State and Siena on Saturday, Dec. 1, at 7:30 p.m. in the second round. Saturday's winner will advance to the regionals on Dec. 7-8, at Penn State.
Against the Field
CSU is 0-3 against teams in the NCAA Championship this season. The Vikings fell to Dayton (0-3) on Nov. 4, Kentucky (0-3) on Sept. 1 and Xavier (2-3) on Aug. 25.
Recapping the Vikings' 2007 season
-CSU finished the 2007 season with a 23-8 overall record and a 13-3 League mark.
-Freshman Amy Benz, sophomore Beth Greulich and senior Mel Snyder were selected to the 2007 All-Horizon League Team.
-Benz also took home Horizon League Newcomer of the Year honors as she led the League in hitting percentage (.340) and finished second blocks per game (1.51). In addition, the Ohio native was named the Most Valuable Player of the Horizon League championship.
-Cleveland State reached the 20-win plateau for the first time since the 1988 squad posted a mark of 20-22 record.
-CSU won a program record 13 League matches, surpassing the previous mark of 11 set in 2005.
News from around the League
Three teams collect 20 wins
Milwaukee (26-3), Cleveland State (23-8) and Valparaiso (21-12) each won 20 matches in 2007, which marked the first time since the 2003 campaign that three League teams had won 20 or more matches in a season.
Panthers left out of NCAA tournament
Despite an overall record of 26-3 and a 15-1 mark in League play, the Milwaukee Panthers were left out of the NCAA volleyball championship.
In 2007, UWM claimed its fifth straight Horizon League regular-season title a feat in which no League team had ever accomplished.
However, in the second semifinal match of the Horizon League volleyball championship, the Panthers were defeated 3-1 by Valparaiso.
UWM's only other defeats came to NCAA tournament teams, as it fell Wisconsin in the first match of the season and to League tournament champion Cleveland State in late September. Around those three losses, UWM ran off streaks of 14 and 12-straight victories.
Following the regular-season slate, the Panthers were honored with several postseason awards as senior Leanne Felsing was named Player of the Year and first-year head coach Susie Johnson was selected Coach of the Year.
Malicoat sets single season digs mark
In her first Horizon League season, Valparaiso junior Brittany Malicoat set the single-season mark for digs as she totaled 740 in 2007.
Malicoat's mark of 740 surpassed the previous tally of 579 which was held by Duquesne's Stacy Gilligan (1992).
In addition, Malicoat was selected as the 2007 Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year and helped Valpo post an overall mark of 21-12. The Crusaders advanced to the League championship final against Cleveland State after it downed No. 1 seed Milwaukee in the semifinals.
Avery and Voss post milestone victories
Valparaiso's Carin Avery and Cleveland State's Chuck Voss each collected milestone victories in 2007.
Against UIC on Nov. 10, Avery collected her 200th career win, while Voss earned his 150th career victory following a 3-1 win over Youngstown State on Sept. 21.
