GREEN BAY, Wis.
(GreenBayPhoenix.com) - Hosting a
talented Cleveland State (17-3, 8-2 HL) squad, Green Bay (7-17, 3-7 HL) rallied
from two sets down to force a fifth set, but the visiting Vikings closed out a
3-2 (25-17, 25-14, 16-25, 21-25, 15-10) win in Horizon League volleyball action
Friday night at the Kress Events Center.
In the decisive fifth set, the teams were tied at 6-6
after a Zabkowicz kill before the Vikings pulled away to an 11-8 lead and
eventually closed the set, 15-10.
Junior Abbey
Gitter (Hortonville, Wis.) tallied a
team-high 12 kills while freshman Lyndsay
Zabkowicz (Oak Creek, Wis.)
recovered from a tough start to add 11 kills.
After a tough first two sets which saw the Phoenix hit
only .097 and fall behind 2-0, Green Bay came alive after intermission. In the
third set, Green Bay used back-to-back kills from Gitter and senior Whitney Schott (Roscoe, Ill.) to start a 6-1 run that turned a two-point
edge into a 20-13 lead. Kills from sophomore Carmen Leitermann (Schofield, Wis.) and Zabkowicz helped Green Bay
close the set win.
The third set saw the Phoenix hit .273 with 13 kills
holding the Vikings to a -.075 hitting percentage with 10 errors. Gitter and
Zabkowicz had three kills apiece in the set while sophomore Brittany Groth (Oak Creek, Wis.) had
nine digs to help the Green Bay defense.
The hosts jumped out quickly in set four, leading 13-7
on a kill from freshman Monica Anderson
(Cottage Grove, Wis.). After a CSU rally, the lead hit six again on a booming
kill from Leitermann which forced a Viking timeout. Anderson and Schott had
consecutive kills to give the Phoenix set point, and Zabkowicz forced the
decisive fifth with a rally-stopping kill.
The Phoenix had just two errors in the fourth set,
hitting .217. With seven more digs from Groth, Green Bay held the Vikings to a
.060 percentage.
Schott led the Phoenix with 41 assists while Groth
finished the match with 26 digs. Junior Kelly
Mischer (Kaukauna, Wis.) contributed
a solid effort with eight kills, four blocks and a .389 hitting percentage.
The Compete to Beat auction will close Saturday
afternoon at 3 p.m. Visit the GreenBayPhoenix.com auction site to bid on items which include three pink autographed
game balls.
Green Bay will host Youngstown State Saturday at 2
p.m. in its final home match until Nov. 12. The Phoenix swept YSU on Sept. 24
on the road.
Cleveland State def. Green Bay 25-17, 25-14, 16-25, 21-25,
15-10
Cleveland State (17-3, 8-2 HL) (Kills-aces-blocks)
KOCH, Kara 15-4-2; BENZ, Amy 11-0-2;
BARHORST, Megan 11-0-3; GOAD, Jordan 10-0-2; GRIFFITH, Lindsey 7-0-0; DABBELT,
Jackie 6-0-2; FREASE, Marie 1-0-0; MEDVETZ, Amanda 0-1-0; HOLLAND, Brittany
0-2-0; GRABIEC, Amy 0-2-0; Totals 61-9-7.0. (Assists) - GOAD, Jordan 43. (Dig
leaders) - GRABIEC, Amy 29; KOCH, Kara 14; GOAD, Jordan 13; MEDVETZ, Amanda 11;
HOLLAND, Brittany 9
Green Bay (7-17, 3-7 HL) (Kills-aces-blocks)
GITTER, Abbey 12-0-1; ZABKOWICZ, Lyndsay 11-0-0;
MISCHLER, Kelly 8-0-4; ANDERSON, Monica 7-0-0; LEITERMANN, Carmen 5-0-3;
SCHOTT, Whitney 3-0-1; LINDSTEDT, Kara 1-0-1; VAN ZEELAND, Leah 1-0-0; GROTH,
Brittany 0-1-0; Totals 48-1-7.0. (Assists) - SCHOTT, Whitney 41. (Dig leaders)
- GROTH, Brittany 26; MARUNOWSKI, Sabrina 15; SCHOTT, Whitney 12; GITTER, Abbey
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