Sept. 7-9 Volleyball Weekend Recap

Cleveland State and Youngstown State finished runner-up in their respective tournaments, while UIC played some of the nation’s toughest teams in the Chicago Classic to highlight the Horizon League volleyball schedule this weekend.

Here’s a team-by-team look at the third weekend of play.

Cleveland State hosted CSU Invitational
Results:
Cleveland State def. Buffalo, 3-1 (24-26, 25-21, 25-22, 25-14)
Cleveland State def. Eastern Kentucky, 3-0 (25-22, 25-15, 25-18)
Oakland def. Cleveland State, 3-2 (25-23, 18-25, 25-23, 23-25, 15-9)

The Vikings (7-4) spent the weekend at home as they hosted the CSU Invitational. Cleveland State opened its tournament with a four-set win over Buffalo. The Viking offense was led in the match by the quartet of Kara Koch, Jackie Dabbelt, Marie Frease and Kerry Winchester who combined for 51 of Cleveland State's 57 kills. Koch posted 20 kills against the Bulls for her fourth 20-kill match of the season, while Dabbelt added 10 and Frease and Winchester each tallied 10. CSU was also strong defensively against the Bulls, as four players recorded double-digit digs led by Amanda Medvetz who posted 18. Annie Djukic tallied a career-high 16, while Brittany Holland and Koch each notched 11. Djukic also tallied 45 assists on the night, marking the second double-double of her career. The Vikings won their second consecutive match at the tournament when they swept Eastern Kentucky on Saturday morning. Frease led the Viking offense, recording 14 kills on a .565 hitting percentage, while Maggie Hannon notched a career-high 11 kills. Medvetz posted double-digit digs for the eighth match this season ending with 14, while Dayna Roberts added eight. Djukic led the offense with 34 assists, along with five digs and one block. The Vikings completed the tournament by dropping a hard fought five-set match to Oakland.  Against the Grizzlies the Viking offense was led by Koch who notched 26 kills for her fifth 20-kill match of the season. Frease and Dabbelt also notched double-digit kills, Frease with a career-high 19 and Dabbelt with 10. Djukic set a career-best with 59 assists, while also adding a career-high 17 digs. Medvetz led the defense, posting 33 digs, the first 30-dig match of her career. Nikki Holmes was the final Viking to notch a career-high against Oakland, posting 11 digs along with three service aces. Medvetz and Frease represented CSU on the All-Tournament team, as Medvetz combined for 65 digs on the weekend (5.42/set) and Frease notched 43 kills on a .476 hitting percentage.

Green Bay at South Dakota State Jackrabbit Invitational
Results:
South Dakota State def. Green Bay, 3-2 (24-26, 23-25, 25-19, 25-17, 15-7)
Green Bay def. Bradley, 3-2 (27-29, 23-25, 25-20, 25-19, 15-11)

The Phoenix (4-5) split their two matches at the South Dakota State Jackrabbit Invitational in Brookings, S.D. GB started the weekend with a tough five-set loss to the host Jackrabbits. Green Bay finished with the edge in kills (64-59), assists (59-55) and digs (91-88), but committed 37 attack errors compared to SDSU's 19. The Jackrabbits, now winners of five straight, out-hit the Phoenix .233 to .138 in the contest and had a 15-10 advantage in blocks. Senior Carmen Leitermann led the Phoenix with a season-high 18 kills, hitting .350. Juniors Monica Anderson and Leah Van Zeeland also reached double-figures in kills with 16 and 10, respectively. Van Zeeland added 20 digs for her third double-double of the season, while junior Leah Poel had her sixth straight double-double with 12 digs and a match-high 46 assists. On Saturday against Bradley, the Phoenix spotted the Braves a 2-0 lead before battling back to win the final three sets to claim a five-set victory. Anderson had a career-high 20 kills on the day, while hitting .364 for the match. She has now had at least 12 kills in four of her last five matches. Joining her with double-digit kill totals were Leitermann (15) and Van Zeeland (13), while Taylor Kasal (8), Poel (7) and Katie Mroczenski (7) also had solid matches. Poel posted her seventh straight double-double, registering a season-high 52 assists and 16 digs. Senior Brittany Groth led the Phoenix in dig numbers with 19, while freshman Becca Mastey added 17.

Loyola at Stanford Invitational
Results:
Pacific def. Loyola, 3-0 (25-17, 26-24, 25-6)
#8 Stanford def. Loyola, 3-1 (25-16, 25-27, 25-15, 25-15)
Santa Clara def. Loyola, 3-0 (25-23, 25-20, 25-21)

The Ramblers (5-5) traveled to Palo Alta, California, this weekend to play in the Stanford Invitational. Loyola dropped its first match in the tournament to Pacific, 3-0. Anna Eytchison led Loyola with nine kills while Kathleen Vogel added eight of her own to pace the offense. Stephanie Kinane racked up 20 digs from her libero spot and Loyola's block was solid with 8.5 total blocks on the night.In their second match of the tournament, the Ramblers fell to tournament-host Stanford, 3-1. After dropping the first set, Loyola won the second set, 27-25, to even the match. The Cardinal would not be denied in the next two sets to win the match. Laura Purcell finished with a team-high 15 kills and had just one attack error in 24 attempts for a hitting percentage of .583. That is the highest hitting percentage (minimum 12 kills) by a Horizon League player this season. Eytchison finished with 10 kills of her own while Vogel added eight kills and eight digs. Kinane continued her solid run of play, posting 21 digs. Loyola finished the tournament with a three-set loss to Santa Clara. Eytchison, who was named to the all-tournament team, paced Loyola with nine kills. Vogel finished with seven kills and seven digs while Kinane had another solid match in the back row, racking up a match-high 22 digs.

Milwaukee at InnTowner Invitational
Results:
North Dakota State def. Milwaukee, 3-2 (25-21, 25-21, 18-25, 21-25, 16-14)
Milwaukee def. Drake, 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, 25-22)
Wisconsin def. Milwaukee, 3-0 (25-15, 26-24, 25-23)

The Panthers (5-5) traveled to Madison, Wis., this weekend, winning one of three matches at the InnTowner Invitational. On opening night, UWM battled back from a 2-0 deficit to force a fifth-set, but North Dakota State was able to prevail in the final set, 16-14, to take the match. Julie Kolinske and Elizabeth Egerer had 22 kills apiece to lead the Panther attack. Anna Bartz had 19 digs to lead three Panthers in double figures in the category. UWM had just five blocks in the match, while NDSU was able to slow the Milwaukee attack thanks to 12 blocks. Milwaukee started Saturday with a three-set sweep of Drake. Kolinske led the Panthers with 13 kills as UWM controlled the match with its defense, holding the Bulldogs to a .064 hitting percentage and forcing 20 hitting errors. UWM again had plenty of people involved in its defensive effort, as Bartz and Kolinske tallied 11 digs apiece while Egerer added 10. Egerer also added 10 kills while Maggie Dunbar had eight and Rachel Neuberger seven as Milwaukee hit .204 for the contest. UWM finished the tournament with a loss to the host Badgers. Kolinske had 13 kills to lead the Panthers for the third straight match as she was named to the All-Tournament team. Bartz and Egerer tied for the team-lead in digs with 13 each, while Kolinske also reached double-figures with 10.

UIC at Chicago Classic
Results:
Oregon State def. UIC, 3-0 (25-22, 25-19, 27-25)
UIC def. DePaul, 3-0 (25-22, 25-16, 26-24)
#2 Penn State def. UIC, 3-0 (25-17, 25-18, 25-17)

The Flames (4-6) stayed in Chicago for the second consecutive weekend playing in the Chicago Classic at Mother McAuley High School. UIC started the Classic with a 3-0 setback to Pac-12 foe Oregon State. Seniors Janise Dismuke and Sara Sternard guided the Flames with 10 kills apiece as senior Aubrey Sniegowski posted a match-high .385 attacking percentage.  Junior MaryKate Imrie also recorded a match-high in assists with 36. The Flames righted the ship on Saturday afternoon with a sweep of crosstown rival DePaul. Sniegowski led all teammates with 14 kills and Sternard paced the squad with a .533 attacking percentage while accumulating 10 kills for the Flames.  For the second straight contest, Imrie had a match-high 33 assists, while Maggie Strus (11 digs) and Justine Garcia (10 digs) led UIC’s defensive efforts. In the final match of the Classic, UIC went up against second-ranked Penn State. The Nittany Lions were able to dispatch the Flames 3-0, but UIC stayed with Penn State throughout the first two sets. Kelsey Safranek finished with a team-high 10 kills in the match, while Imrie finished with a double-double (16 assists, 11 digs) to pace the Flames. Dismuke was named to the All-Tournament team after totaling 21 kills and nine blocks in three tournament games.

Valparaiso at MSU Eagle Challenge
Results:
Missouri def. Valparaiso, 3-0 (25-17, 25-22, 25-18)
Valparaiso def. Savannah State, 3-0 (25-12, 25-15, 25-14)
Morehead State def. Valparaiso, 3-2 (25-14, 22-25, 20-25, 25-16, 15-5)

The Crusaders (5-6) captured one of three matches at the MSU Eagle Challenge in Morehead, Ky. On Friday in the tournament opener, the Crusaders fell to Missouri, 3-0. Junior Ellen Vanden Berg paced Valpo against Mizzou with nine kills on .333 hitting, while sophomore Morgan Beil committed no errors on 19 swings, putting down eight kills to swing at a .421 clip.  Kelsey Berrington and junior Ariel Cudney each handed out 14 assists.  Senior Taylor Root led the back line with 15 digs while Lindsey Hauch picked up 13 of her own. In their second match of the day, the Crusaders easily dispatched of Savannah State, 3-0. Kelsey Victor paced the Crusaders in the sweep with a career-best 14 kills on .542 hitting, one of three Valpo players to reach double figures in kills.  Junior Janelle Hobbs posted 11 kills on 14 swings without an error, good for a hitting percentage of .714, the fifth-best mark in a three-set match in Crusader history. Hauch added 10 kills without an error as well, swinging at a .417 clip, as Valpo tallied 47 kills on .389 hitting as a team. Berrington handed out a season-high 38 assists in the winning effort, running the Crusader offense throughout the match.  Chelsey Tekavec led Valpo in both aces and digs, registering season-highs in both categories with three aces and 12 digs. In the tournament finale, Valparaiso fell in five sets to the host school, Morehead State. The Crusaders dropped the first set, but won the second and third sets to take a 2-1 lead before falling in the fourth and fifth sets to lose the match. Victor had a career-high with nine blocks in the contest, while Beil had eight blocks to lead the Valpo defense. Beil, who also had 10 kills on a .348 hitting percentage in the contest, was named to the All-Tournament team. Hauch hit .320 with nine kills, committing just one attack error, and also tallied 11 digs. Root paced the back-line effort with 32 digs, while Sarah Dooms added 14 digs of her own.

Wright State at West Virginia Golden Horseshoe Challenge
Results:
Wright State def. Saint Peter’s, 3-1 (24-26, 25-11, 25-19, 25-16)
Radford def. Wright State, 3-0 (26-24, 31-29, 25-13)
Maryland-Eastern Shore def. Wright State, 3-2 (25-15, 22-25, 25-22, 15-25, 15-13)
West Virginia def. Wright State, 3-0 (25-14, 25-18, 25-22)

The Raiders (1-11) spent the weekend in Morgantown, W. Va., at the West Virginia Golden Horseshoe Challenge. WSU opened the tournament by picking up its first win of the season with a  3-1 victory over Saint Peter’s. After dropping the first set, the Raiders breezed through the next three sets to capture the match behind a season-high 59 kills and a .226 hitting percentage. Marisa Aiello led the Raiders with 16 kills in hitting .324 with five block assists while Heidi Splinter posted her fourth double-double of the season of 14 kills and 13 digs in hitting .316. Natalie Catani just missed a double-double with nine kills and 15 digs while Samantha Daniel had 10 kills.  Libero Katie Glassmeyer recorded 26 digs and setter Ashleigh Lucco dished out 51 assists. The Raiders could not keep momentum going in their next match, falling to Radford Friday afternoon, 3-0. Aiello had 13 kills in hitting .355 to lead WSU. Splinter had nine kills and nine digs while libero Glassmeyer had 14 digs and Catani 10. In its first match Saturday, Wright State dropped a heartbreaker to Maryland-Eastern Shore, 3-2. The Raiders won the second and fourth sets to force a match-deciding fifth set, but was unable to come through in the fifth set, falling 15-13 in the final set to lose the match. Splinter posted her fourth double-double of season in the match as she led the Raiders with 14 kills and had 12 digs.  Aiello added 11 kills. In their final match of the weekend, the Raiders fell to tournament-host West Virginia, 3-0. Aiello, who was named to the All-Tournament Team after hitting .315 with 49 kills in four matches, had nine kills in hitting .333 to lead the Raiders while Splinter also had nine kills in the match.

Youngstown State at Zips Invitational
Results:
Youngstown State def. Binghamton, 3-2 (27-25, 21-25, 20-25, 25-18, 15-13)
Youngstown State def. SIUE, 3-1 (15-25, 27-25, 25-15, 27-25)
Akron def. Youngstown State, 3-1 (28-26, 20-25, 30-28, 25-17)

The Penguins (8-3) saw their eight-match winning streak come to an end this weekend, but not before winning two matches at the Zips Invitational in Akron, Ohio. YSU opened the tournament with a come-from-behind win over Binghamton. After winning the first set, Youngstown State lost the next two, to fall into a 2-1 hole. The Penguins though rebounded with a strong fourth set and had the lead throughout in the fifth to claim victory. Missy Hundelt led all attackers with 17 kills, and the junior right-side hitter had just three errors in 35 attempts for a .400 attack percentage. Alexis Egler and Jackie Carlisle both posted 11 kills, and Aly Ryan had seven kills and a match-high five blocks. YSU went the comeback route again its second match of the tournament against SIUE. The Penguins lost the first set and trailed 21-16 in the second set before rallying to win the second set to even the match. YSU went on to win the third and fourth sets to claim their eighth consecutive victory. Jenna Cavanaugh had a double-double (11 kills and 10 blocks) to lead a very balanced offensive attack for YSU that saw four players reach double figures in kills (Cavanaugh-11, Egler-11, Shannon Watson-10, Carlisle-10). YSU got a match-high 19 kills and 11 digs from all-tournament team selection Hundelt, and fellow all-tournament team honoree Egler posted 11 kills and 12 digs. Hundelt averaged 3.38 kills and 2.62 digs per set while posting a .287 attack percentage in three matches in Akron. Egler hit an efficient .316 while averaging 2.54 kills and blocks.