Oct. 10, 2009
Box Score
ROCHESTER, Mich. - Senior Adrienne Leone turned in a 16-kill, six service ace performance, while freshman Brittany Holbrook hit .444 with 13 kills to lead the Oakland University volleyball team (13-4, 6-3 Summit League) to a 3-0 victory over Western Illinois (8-12, 4-5 Summit League) on Saturday at the Athletics Center O'Rena.
"This was a much-improved performance," said OU head coach Rob Beam. "I thought we had great energy and great spirit. We rebounded from a tough loss last night and put out one of our best efforts this season."
The Golden Grizzlies opened the match with a dominating 25-16 win in the opening set, but the Leathernecks closed the gap in sets two and three, with Oakland taking 25-23 and 25-22 victories.
"We talked about bringing the first-set enthusiasm into the third set," said Beam. "Western Illinois is a tough team, and they're mentally tough. We wanted to play with some enthusiasm and some passion, and we got some key aces at times to build a lead in the third set.
Oakland notched 14 service aces on the night, with Leone leading the way with six, junior Brittany Dunn adding four, and sophomore Allison Bell adding three. The total marks the second-highest three-set total in OU history, trailing a 19-ace performance against Hillsdale in 1987.
Sophomore Ashley Nevelle dished out 29 assists, while Dunn led all players with 28 digs. OU held a slight .233 to .222 hitting percentage advantage for the match, as OU hit over .200 in all three sets. Both teams notched three blocks, with Holbrook adding three block assists.
The match marked the second consecutive dominant offensive performance from Holbrook, who followed up her 16-kill, .682 hitting percentage Friday against IUPUI with the .444, 13-kill effort today.
"Brittany has been spectacular," added Beam. "Not only is she killing the ball but she's very consistent. We're seeing the maturation of a freshman that's going to be one of the top players in the league at her position for a long time. I have always said that in October freshmen aren't really freshmen, and I think we're seeing that with Brittany."
Oakland will return to action on Friday, Oct. 16, as they travel to Fargo, N.D. for a battle with first-place North Dakota State. An 8 p.m. match is scheduled.
-30-
