CSU Vikings Weekly Roundup

Here is what is happening this week for CSU Athletics!

MEN’S BASKETBALL

• The Vikings host Cedarville on Thursday (Nov. 2) at 7:00 pm in the Wolstein Center for CSU’s lone exhibition game of the preseason.
• The game will mark the debut of first-year head coach Dennis Felton who was hired as the 15th head coach in program history in March.
• CSU returns three starters and eight letter winners from last year’s team and will open the regular season on Nov. 11 at Akron at 7:00 pm.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

• Cleveland State will begin the 2017-18 season this week, hosting Muskingum College on Wednesday, November 1 in their lone exhibition contest of the season.
• The Vikings are under the direction of 15-year head coach Kate Peterson Abiad, and return nine letter winners and four starters.
• Earlier this month, the Vikings were selected finish sixth in the #HLWBB Preseason Poll, with Ashanti Abshaw and Khayla Livingston earning Preseason h

CROSS COUNTRY

• Following a fourth place showing at the Horizon League Championship last time out, the Vikings will now have a week off from competition, returning to action in their final race of the season at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional (Friday, November 10).
• At the #HLXC Championship last time out, the Vikings recorded a fourth place team finish, tying the highest finish in program history.
• Anna Brandt led the Vikings with a seventh place individual finish, earning Freshman of the Year honors and First Team accolades, while Karen Barrientos earned a spot on the Second Team with an eighth place individual finish.

FENCING

• Cleveland State returns to action this Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 4-5, competing at the Elite Invitational Duals, hosted by Ohio State.
• The Viking men went 4-2 in their last action at the OSU Duals while the CSU women were 3-3 at that event.

MEN’S SOCCER

• Cleveland State (6-8-2, 4-2-2 HL) closes its regular season in Friday, Nov. 3, as it hosts Detroit Mercy at 7:00 pm for Senior Night.
• The Vikings began last week by dropping their non-conference finale at Cincinnati, 2-1, as Gianluca DiFranco scored his first goal of the season.
• CSU then returned home and claimed a 2-1 win over Wright State, clinching a HL Tournament berth in the process. Junior Noah Pio assisted on both CSU goals against the Raiders.

WOMEN’S SOCCER

• The Vikings (9-9, 5-4 HL) will open play in the Horizon League tournament as the No. 6 seend and will play a first round match at No. 3 seeded IUPUI on Monday (Oct. 30) at 7:00 pm.
• CSU dropped its regular season finale to Milwaukee, 2-0, on Friday night. Seniors Katie Bainbridge and Jamie Daniels were honored in a pre-match ceremony prior to playing the final home match of their careers.
• CSU will be making its first appearance in the League tournament since 2015. A win on Monday night would send the Vikings into the semifinals for an 8:00 pm ET match at top-seeded Milwaukee.
• The Vikings nine wins this year are tied for the second most in program history, while the five League wins were tied for the most in school history.

MEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING

• Cleveland State returns to action with its home opener as it welcomes Green Bay for two days of dual action this Friday and Saturday, Nov. 3-4.
• The Vikings had last week off after dropping duals at Xavier and Cincinnati the week prior. Junior Jason van der Touw won four individual races against the Musketeers and Bearcats.

WOMEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING

• Cleveland State returns to action with its home opener as it welcomes Green Bay and Marshall for two days of dual action this Friday and Saturday, Nov. 3-4.
• The Vikings had last week off after dropping duals at Xavier and Cincinnati the week prior. Junior Molly McNamara was named the HL Swimmer of the Week after posting three wins in those two duals.

MEN’S TENNIS

• Cleveland State will close out its fall slate this weekend, hosting the second annual Viking Invitational (Friday, November 3 – Sunday, November 5) at the Medical Mutual Tennis Pavilion on the Cleveland State campus.
• Entering the weekend, freshman Matthew Terry leads the Vikings with a 10-2 singles record, while classmate Luke Phillips stands at 8-3 and sophomore Nico Mostardi stands at 7-4.

WOMEN’S TENNIS

• The Vikings will participate in their final event of the fall season this weekend, taking part in the WMU Super Challenge (Friday, November 3 – Sunday, November 5).
• So far this fall, Isabella Spindler has a team-best 6-1 singles record, while Aleksandra Golawska and Spindler have teamed up for a team-best 6-1 doubles mark.

VOLLEYBALL

• Cleveland State (16-7, 9-3 HL) will return to Woodling Gymnasium for a two-match homestand this weekend, hosting Oakland (Friday, November 3) and Youngstown State (Saturday, November 4).
• Last time out, the Vikings extended their win streak to six straight matches with a pair of 3-1 wins at Wright State and IUPUI.
• Cleveland State’s 2-0 weekend put them in a tie for first place in the #HLVB standings with just two weeks left of regular season play.

WRESTLING

• Cleveland State opens its 2017-18 season this Sunday, Nov. 5, as it takes part in the Clarion Open.
• Redshirt senior Nick Corba, an NCAA qualifier from last season, and junior Evan Cheek, who posted a team-leading 27 wins, headline CSU’s returnees.

VIKING OF THE WEEK

Anna Brandt | Fr. | Cross Country | Rocky River, Ohio Brandt earned first team All-Horizon League accolades after finishing seventh at the Horizon League Championship. She was the top freshman to cross the finish line – posting a time of 22:52 – earning Freshman of the Year honors. Her performance helped the Vikings to a fourth place finish as a team.

OTHER TOP PERFORMERS

Kareem Banton | Sr. | Men’s Soccer Scored his first goal of the season – the game-winner vs. Wright State – helping CSU clinch a berth in the HL tournament.

Toni Dickson | Jr. | Women’s Soccer Named to the Horizon League Women’s Soccer All-Academic team.

Sara Skeens | So. | Volleyball Averaged a team-best 4.62 kills last week, helping CSU to a pair of wins.

Tom Tontimonia | Associate AD After 38 years at Cleveland State, he will retire on Oct. 31.

THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE

Monday, Oct. 30 Women’s Soccer at IUPUI (HL 1st Round), 7:00 pm

Wednesday, Nov. 1 Women’s Basketball hosts Muskingum (Exhibition), 7:00 pm

Thursday, Nov. 2 Men’s Basketball hosts Cedarville (Exhibition), 7:00 pm Women’s Soccer at HL Semi finals, 8:00 pm ET

Friday, Nov. 3 Men’s Swimming & Diving hosts Green Bay, 6:00 pm Women’s Swimming & Diving hosts Green Bay & Marshall, 6:00 pm Volleyball hosts Oakland, 6:00 pm Men’s Soccer hosts Detroit Mercy, 7:00 pm Women’s Tennis at WMU Super Challenge, All Day Men’s Tennis hosts Vikings Invitational, All Day

Saturday, Nov. 4 Men’s Swimming & Diving hosts Green Bay, 12:00 pm Women’s Swimming & Diving hosts Green Bay & Marshall, 12:00 pm Volleyball hosts Youngstown State, 4:00 pm Women’s Soccer at HL Championship, 7:00 pm ET Women’s Tennis at WMU Super Challenge, All Day Men’s Tennis hosts Vikings Invitational, All Day Fencing at Elite Duals Invitational, All Day

Saturday, Nov. 5 Wrestling at Clarion Open, 9:00 am Women’s Tennis at WMU Super Challenge, All Day Men’s Tennis hosts Vikings Invitational, All Day Fencing at Elite Duals Invitational, All Day

This press release is courtesy of Greg Murphy via Cleveland State media communications.