Auburn Box Score
Toledo Box Score
ANN ARBOR, Mich. ???C Despite a 16-kill, 11-dig effort from senior Stephanie Parkin in the opener against Auburn, and a nine-kill, six block effort from junior Adrienne Leone in the finale against Toledo, the Oakland University volleyball team (3-7) was unable to overcome the combined offensive effort of both Auburn and Toledo, dropping a pair of 3-1 decisions on the final day of the Michigan/Pepsi Challenge at Cliff Keen Arena on Saturday. "The positive thing I take from this tournament is that we were tremendous blocking at the net," said head coach Rob Beam. "Our blocking, defense, and serving have all progressed since the beginning of the season. We need to add some solutions on offense." OU fell 25-16 and 25-23 in the first two sets against Auburn before rallying to take a 25-18 win in the third set. The Tigers recovered for set four, taking a 25-22 decision to seal the match victory. Parkin's double-double, her third of the season, paced the Golden Grizzlies while Leone tallied 12 kills with six digs. Senior Leah Dupuie led OU in hitting with a .444 percentage behind nine kills, while freshman Jenna Lange notched an errorless five kills to hit .417. Dupuie was also named to the all-tournament team. Sophomore Brittany Dunn led OU with 12 digs, while Katy Wilson dished out 23 assists. Samantha Filipek also tallied 15 assists in the losing effort. In the finale against Toledo, the Golden Grizzlies turned up the pressure with 15 blocks, and a team-high nine kills from Leone, but ultimately fell 3-1. After UT won the opening set 25-20, OU took a 26-24 victory in the second set to even the match at 1-1. Toledo then took 25-18 and 25-20 wins in sets two and three to seal the match win. "Adrienne Leone turned in an outstanding performance scoring points for us against Toledo," added Beam. "She has really found her rhythm offensively and as a blocking presence this week." Sophomore Jessica Hardman stepped in, drawing the start against Toledo and notching five kills, two block assists, and one block solo. Dunn once again led the OU defense with 16 digs. "Brittany Dunn and Jessica Hardman both stepped in and did a good job for us," said Beam. "It's good to know that with our depth we have no shortage of players that can step in immediately and contribute." "The player I feel played the best for us at the beginning was Stephanie Parkin," added Beam. "Parkin had 16 kills, 11 digs, three block assists, and a service ace against Auburn on the way to her third double-double of the season. She turned in back-to-back strong performances." The Golden Grizzlies will return to action on Tuesday, Sept. 16, when they travel to East Lansing, Mich. to face Michigan State. The match is slated for a 7 p.m. start time. "I'm excited to get to play our second Big Ten match this week," said Beam. "Our team is really looking forward to playing at that high level and showcasing our ability against a highly-recognized team." -30-