Box Score
NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. ???C Senior Lauren Duquette turned in a 31-dig performance, while fellow senior Amy Golem turned a 14-kill performance, hitting .265 to lead the Oakland University volleyball team (1-0) to a season-opening 3-2 win against Niagara on day one of the Niagara Tournament. "This was a gutsy team performance," said head coach Rob Beam. "It took a combination of great defense and consistent offense to secure the win. (Duquette) was spectacular tonight. Not only did she record 31 digs, but she provided the leadership we needed to win a tight match on the road." After dropping the opening set 26-28, OU rallied to even the match at one set apiece with a decisive 25-19 victory in the second set. After Niagara returned the favor with a 25-15 victory in the third set, the Golden Grizzlies took charge with a 25-13 victory in the fourth set before winning a 19-17 thriller in the fifth set. During the fifth set, Niagara pulled ahead 17-16, but after a service error knotted the set at 17-17, the Golden Grizzlies took advantage of an attack error to pull ahead 18-17 and then senior Leah Dupuie sent home the decisive kill to give OU the match. Senior Stephanie Parkin turned in double-digit kills for OU with 11, while sophomore Katy Wilson dished out 28 assists. Transfer Samantha Filipek added 19 assists, while Parkin also turned in a 15-dig effort. "We saw two newcomers rise to the occasion," added Beam. "Jenna Lange (six kills, .333 hitting percentage) and Ashleigh Slemmer (five kills, .308 percentage, seven digs) both played well in their first collegiate matches. We also saw great all-around play from Parkin and Golem. They contributed equally well at the net and in the backcourt." The Golden Grizzlies will return to action on the final day of the Niagara tournament on Saturday, Aug. 30, playing a pair of matches against Southern Illinois and Sacred Heart. -30-