Nov. 18, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
LAST WEEK IN THE HORIZON LEAGUE
Tuesday, Nov. 11
UIC 3, SIU-Edwardsville 1
Friday, Nov. 14
Cleveland State 3, Youngstown State 1
Loyola 3, Green Bay 2
Milwaukee 3, UIC 0
Valparaiso 3, Chicago State 0
Wright State 3, Butler 2
Saturday, Nov. 15
Milwaukee 3, Loyola 2
Green Bay 3, UIC 1
Valparaiso 3, Wright State 0
THIS WEEK IN THE HORIZON LEAGUE
Thursday, Nov. 20 -- HL Championship First Round
Match 1 -- No. 8 UIC vs. No. 9 Youngstown State, 6 p.m. Watch on HLN
Friday, Nov. 21 -- HL Championship Quarterfinals
Match 2 -- No. 1 Milwaukee vs. Winner of Match 1, 11:30 a.m. Watch on HLN
Match 3 -- No. 4 Loyola vs. No. 5 Butler, 2 p.m. Watch on HLN
Match 4 -- No. 2 Valparaiso vs. No. 7 Green Bay, 5 p.m. Watch on HLN
Match 5 -- No. 3 Wright State vs. No. 6 Cleveland State, 7:30 p.m. Watch on HLN
Saturday, Nov. 22 -- HL Championship Semifinals
Match 6 -- First semifinal at 12:30 p.m. Watch on HLN
Match 7 -- Second semifinal at 3 p.m. Watch on HLN
Sunday, Nov. 23 -- HL Championship
Match 8 -- Championship match at 12 p.m. Watch on HLN
All times are Eastern Daylight (EDT)
All championship matches played at Cleveland State
BUTLER BULLDOGS (18-10, 8-8)
Butler's .643 winning percentage (18-10) this season ties the 2004 team for the best mark since the 1997 squad finished the year with an .800 winning percentage (28-7).Butler's 444 block assists currently rank as the eighth-highest single season total in school history and are just six short of passing the 2006 team's seventh-place total (449). Butler's .207 hitting percentage would also rank in the top-10 all-time.Butler ranks in the Horizon League's top three for blocks per set (2nd, 2.33), opponent hitting percentage (2nd, .168), kills per set (3rd, 12.80) and hitting percentage (3rd, .207).
CLEVELAND STATE VIKINGS (8-18, 7-9)Junior Kayla Lefeld posted her sixth double-double of the season with 11 kills and a match-best 17 digs on Friday night against Youngstown State.The Vikings have now won 17 straight matches over Youngstown State following Friday night's victory.Cleveland State won its final two road matches this season after dropping its first 10.
GREEN BAY PHOENIX (9-17, 5-11)Senior Megan Elfering places ninth in the nation with 5.38 digs per set.Green Bay snapped a nine-match losing streak and picked up its first road win of the year on Saturday afternoon at UIC.The Phoenix split the season series against the No. 1 (Milwaukee) and 2 (Valparaiso) seeds in the Horizon League Tournament.
LOYOLA RAMBLERS (19-10, 8-8)Freshman Natalie Pounovich collected seven blocks, 18 kills and hit .472 in Loyola's five-set win over Green Bay on Friday night. She followed that up with an eight-kill, five-block performance against Milwaukee on Saturday afternoon.Loyola owns a Horizon League-best 12 home victories this year. LU's .800 home winning percentage is third in the league.
MILWAUKEE PANTHERS (20-8, 13-3)Junior Lauren Felsing places 19th in the country with 5.07 digs per set. She also increased her double-figure dig streak to 53 straight matches.UWM reached 20 wins for the 11th time in the last 12 years with its win over Loyola on Saturday afternoon.Milwaukee is 17-8 all-time in the league tournament, with four titles and two second-place finishes. This is the eighth time UWM is seeded No. 1.
UIC FLAMES (13-17, 5-11)Senior Katarina Nedeljkovic, junior Katerina Hanackova and sophomore Casie Sullivan each totaled more than 30 kills in three matches last week.Sophomore Jessica Dalke totaled a career-best 51 assists versus SIUE last Tuesday. UIC totaled 40 blocks in three matches last week.
VALPARAISO CRUSADERS (23-6, 12-4)Valparaiso has surpassed the 20-win plateau for a seventh straight season. The Crusaders are one of just 19 Division I teams to have 20+ victories each year from 2002-07.Valparaiso has won 12 straight matches -- just two off the program record of 14. The Crusaders have also won 16 of their last 17 matches overall.Valparaiso has won 21 consecutive sets in Horizon League action, dating back to second set against Milwaukee on Oct. 24.Valparaiso leads the nation with 15.24 kills per set and 14.21 assists per set.
WRIGHT STATE RAIDERS (15-15, 10-6)Wright State, in picking up its ninth straight win over Butler, held the advantage in kills (70-61) and hitting percentage (.224-.187) on Friday night at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The Raiders outhit the Bulldogs .257-.110 over the final three sets to win the match.Junior Lexi Leonhard posted a double-double with 23 kills and 16 digs on Friday night against Butler. The 23 kills shattered her previous career high of 15. Sophomore Jessica Woods also had a double-double with 12 kills and 19 digs vs. the Bulldogs.
YOUNGSTOWN STATE PENGUINS (11-16, 4-12)Senior Ebony Barbosa and junior Ruth Boscaljon may still break the 1,000-kill plateau if Youngstown State can put together a run in the Horizon League Volleyball Championship this week. Barbosa stands at 975 kills in her career, while Boscaljon has 979.Youngstown State went 0-2 this season against UIC, which it will play Thursday in the first round of the Horizon League Volleyball Championship. The Flames have won seven out of the last eight meetings, but the Penguins have a 1-0 edge in the postseason.
