Cleveland State To Host Horizon League Volleyball, Baseball Championships

Aug. 7, 2008

INDIANAPOLIS - Cleveland State University will serve as the host institution for the 2008 Horizon League Volleyball Championship and the 2009 Baseball Championship, the League office announced Thursday (Aug. 7).

All nine League volleyball teams will converge Nov. 20-23 at historic Woodling Gym on the CSU campus in the single-elimination tournament. The host Vikings are the defending champions after capturing their first League title last season with a 3-1 victory over Valparaiso University in the championship match.

Pipe Yard Stadium will be the site for the 2009 baseball championship, which will feature all seven League teams in a double-elimination format. The Pipe Yard is Cleveland State's home field and is located in Lorain, just 30 miles west of Cleveland along Lake Erie. The University of Illinois at Chicago has won the last two League titles and four of the last six.

Ticket prices for both events will be announced at a later date.

"We are excited to be hosting the Horizon League Championship this year," said Chuck Voss, Cleveland State's head volleyball coach. "It is great for our university, our program and the city of Cleveland, and we are going to work hard to make it a great atmosphere for everyone involved. When we hosted during my first year as head coach, everything was such a blur. I am looking forward to knowing what to expect this time around and enjoying the entire experience."

Cleveland State last played host to the League Volleyball Championship following the 2000 season, when Loyola University Chicago defeated Butler University 3-0 for the title.

"This is a great opportunity for our program, and we are proud to host this year's League championship," CSU head baseball coach Kevin Kocks said. "The Pipe Yard is one of the premier facilities in Northeast Ohio and will be an exceptionally fan- and player-friendly venue for the Horizon League Championship. We are excited to host a first-rate event next spring and provide a memorable championship experience for all the participants and fans of Horizon League baseball."

The Vikings most recently hosted the baseball championship in 2002 at Jacobs Field (now known as Progressive Field) in downtown Cleveland. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee won the League title that season with a 6-3 victory over UIC in the championship game.

For more information regarding all Horizon League championships, log onto www.horizonleague.org.