MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – The Cleveland State volleyball team opened a five-match roadswing Thursday, picking up a 3-2 victory over RMU. With the win, the Vikings are now 15-6 overall this year and 6-4 in Horizon League play.
 
Two Vikings finished with 20-kill performances, as Liberty Torres had 21 kills and Nia Hall recorded 20 on the night. In addition, JeriLynn Koehler posted 13 kills to help lead the Viking offense.
 
Ella Mihacevich finished with 54 assists and 13 digs for her sixth double-double of the season.
 
Defensively, Emma Walker tallied a team-best 26 digs, while Ayva Leon added 10.
 
With her 26 digs on the night, Walker became the second Viking all-time to eclipse 1,500 career digs, and enters Friday's match with 1,522 total digs.
 
During the opening set, the Vikings were able to gain a slim 15-12 advantage midway through the frame on a Torres kill and RMU error, before regaining a two-point lead at 18-16 a few plays later on back-to-back Hall kills.
 
Although RMU brought the score back to within one at 18-17, Cleveland State knocked off five straight points to gain a 23-17 lead on a JeriLynn Koehler kill, before finally closing out the 25-18 first set victory on another Koehler kill and a RMU error.
 
Despite dropping the next two frames, the Vikings were able to swing the momentum in the fourth set, capturing a 25-17 victory to force a fifth and deciding set. 
 
During the fifth set, the Vikings were able to hold a slight lead throughout the first half of the frame, including an 8-4 lead after forcing back-to-back RMU errors. Cleveland State then extended its lead to 10-5 on a Koehler kill, before three straight kills from Ella Mihacevich, Allana Appleby and Liberty Torres put the Vikings up 13-6.
 
A Hall kill on the next play gave the Vikings set point at 14-6, while a Torres kill closed out the 15-8 fifth set victory.
 
Thursday marked the fourth five-set match for the Vikings this season, with Cleveland State owning a perfect 4-0 record when going the distance.
 
The two teams will close out the series tomorrow, with first serve set for 5:00 p.m.