Oct. 7, 2009

Guins Can't Keep Up With Hot-Hitting Vikings in 3-0 Loss

Box Score

Youngstown -- Cleveland State got 19 kills from Beth Greulich and hit .337 as a team to defeat Youngstown State in straight sets on Wednesday evening at the Beeghly Center.

YSU countered with a very respectable .260 clip, but the Vikings had nine more kills and five more aces as they won 25-19, 25-22, 25-20.

The Vikings improved to 16-5 overall and will maintain their hold on the top spot on the Horizon League standings with a 5-1 mark. YSU droped to 6-12 overall and 4-4 in the Horizon League, which is their best start in nine seasons in the league.

Kaitlin O'Hara had 10 kills, and Ruth Boscaljon had eight kills and four blocks to lead YSU. Liz Fazio backed up Greulich with 14 kills, and Maggie Bonomini had a match high 16 digs. Amy Benz added five blocks.

Cleveland State led the entire first set as it held a .225-.147 edge in attack percentage. YSU had ties at 2-2 and 4-4, but Cleveland State led by six at 15-9 and extended its lead to as many as eight at 24-16. Greulich had eight of CSU's 15 kills in the set.

Both teams were on fire in the second set as YSU hit .355 and Cleveland State hit .452. The set featured seven ties and three lead changes as YSU converted on 72 percent of its sideout chances and Cleveland State was successful in 81 percent. Boscaljon and Brittany Grove had three kills apiece for the Penguins, but Fazio had seven and Greulich had six for the Vikings. YSU led 8-4 early and held the upper hand until Cleveland State scored three straight points to go up 16-15. YSU regained the lead two more times and was within 23-22 when Fazio had a kill and Grove hit into the net on set point.

The Vikings scored four straight points early in the third set to go up 5-2, and YSU worked its way back to tie the set at 10-10 on a Tasha Reid kill. The score was knotted again at 13 when Cleveland State scored three straight points and never led by less than two the rest of the way.

Youngstown State will have eight days before its next match, which will be at Valparaiso on Oct. 16.