Vikings Sweep Hofstra; Off to 5-0 Start
    CSU Plays at Marshall at 7:30 p.m.
    Annie Djukic handed out 32 assists in her first career start.

    Annie Djukic handed out 32 assists in her first career start.

    Sept. 4, 2010

    Final Stats

    Contact: Greg Murphy

    HUNTINGTON, W. Va. - Kara Koch had 14 kills and Cleveland State hit .429 for the match as the Vikings won their fifth straight match to open the season with a 3-0 sweep over Hofstra in the second day of the Thunder Invitational Tourney on Saturday morning.

    CSU improved to 5-0 and will put its win streak on the line in the final match of the tournament at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday night against host Marshall.

    Hofstra fell to 1-5.

    Match scores were 25-9, 25-21, 25-21.

    "I thought we came out with some good energy and carried it through the match," head coach Chuck Voss said. "We stayed within our system, played good defense and hit the ball really well. We have to be able to sustain this momentum going into tonight's match."

    Koch hit .440 for the match (14-3-25), while Jackie Dabbelt hit .643, finishing with 10 kills and just one error in 14 attempts. Amy Benz added six kills for the Vikings, who committed just eight attack errors in 70 attempts.

    Annie Djukic, who was making her first career start, dished out 32 assists, while Amy Grabiec made 10 digs, marking the 14th time in her last 15 matches that she reached double-digits.

    Leading 5-4 in the first set, CSU used back-to-back kills from Dabbelt and Lindsey Griffith to ignite a 4-0 run and take a 9-4 lead as Hofstra would not threaten the rest of the way.

    Set two featured six ties and four lead changes before the Vikings held on for a 2-0 lead. Tied at 9-9, CSU used a 10-2 run to take a 19-11 lead. However, Hofstra battled back to within two at 22-20 and again at 23-21, but Benz concluded the set with a pair of kills.

     

     

    Both teams played outstanding offense in the final set with CSU hitting .565 (14-1-23) and Hofstra hitting at a .458 (14-3-24) clip. The set was close throughout, featuring seven ties and four lead changes with the Vikings pulling away late to claim the sweep.

    Leading 19-18, CSU used a kill by Benz and a Hofstra attack error to extend the leadto 21-18. Hofstra pulled within two points two more times, but back-to-back kills by Koch ended the match, which lasted just over an hour.