The Valparaiso University volleyball team returns home to the ARC as Horizon League play continues this weekend. The Crusaders will host Youngstown State on Friday evening before taking on defending league champion Cleveland Saturday afternoon. The first 200 students to Friday night's match will receive free Valpo volleyball t-shirts, while Saturday's match against the Vikings will serve as the volleyball program's TOCO fundraiser match, in conjunction Saturday night with men's soccer.
Valparaiso University junior Taylor Graboski (Upper Sandusky, Ohio/Upper Sandusky) smashed her previous career best with 24 kills and the Crusaders earned their first Horizon League win in style Saturday in Chicago, rallying from two sets down to top UIC, 3-2 (19-25, 23-25, 25-19, 25-18, 15-7).
After splitting the first two sets of its Horizon League opener Friday evening, the Valparaiso University volleyball team battled deep into extra points with Green Bay in the third set, but the Phoenix prevailed to take the lead and carried the momentum into the fourth set to deal the Crusaders a 3-1 (24-26, 25-15, 30-28, 25-17) setback.
Following an injury-riddled early-season slate, the Valparaiso University volleyball team looks to get back on track as Horizon League play opens this weekend. The Crusaders will start the league season on the road, with matches Friday evening at Green Bay and Saturday afternoon at UIC.
Valparaiso University junior Taylor Graboski (Upper Sandusky, Ohio/Upper Sandusky) represented the Crusader volleyball team on the All-Tournament Team this weekend at the Ball State Active Ankle Challenge.
In a tightly-contested match to close out play at the Ball State Active Ankle Challenge on Saturday, the Valparaiso University volleyball team dropped a 3-1 (27-25, 25-23, 22-25, 28-26) decision to UNC Greensboro.
The Valparaiso University volleyball team opened play at its final pre-league tournament of the season Friday with a pair of matches at the Ball State Active Ankle Challenge. The Crusaders fell 3-0 (25-17, 25-13, 25-18) to #19 Ohio State to open the tournament and then dropped a four-set decision (25-23, 25-9, 21-25, 25-17) to the host Cardinals Friday night.
Taking on its first mid-week opponent of the season, the Valparaiso University volleyball team fell in three sets (25-8, 25-23, 25-21) at Bowling Green Tuesday evening.
The Valparaiso University volleyball team will complete one final week of non-league competition before jumping into the Horizon League slate next weekend. The Crusaders will travel to Bowling Green for a mid-week match on Tuesday evening before heading to Muncie, Ind. for the Ball State Active Ankle Challenge this weekend, where they will face #19 Ohio State and UNC Greensboro in addition to the host Cardinals.
