Sept. 21, 2012
Box Score
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Brittany Holbrook earned a career-high 20 kills and Alli Kirk recorded 24 digs, as the Oakland volleyball team (8-6, 1-2 Summit) fell to Kansas City (9-6, 2-1 Summit) in a five-set match at the Swinney Recreation Center Friday night. OU fell with set scores of 25-19, 22-25, 25-18, 21-25 and 12-15.
"Kansas City played a very solid match and they did a great job of making adjustments," said head coach Rob Beam. "We were not consistent in our execution of our scouting report and relaxed each time we had a set lead. We need to make improvements in both areas."
Meghan Bray earned her eighth double-double of the season finishing with 15 kills and 18 digs while Taylor Humm also recorded a double-double with 12 kills and tied for a team-high 24 digs. Amanda Baker finished with a career-high 10 kills and Alissa Valentine earned 29 assists and added 13 digs. The match marks the fifth straight time that Oakland has played a match that went to the deciding set.
In the fifth set, the Kangaroos jumped out to a 7-4 lead as they forced three quick OU hitting errors. Kansas City continued the pressure as they finished with 11 kills in the deciding set and a block by Skyler Muff and Ella Meier sealed a 15-13 set win to take the match.
The opening set was dominated by Oakland as they led by as many as eight points behind a strong defensive effort that forced nine Kangaroo hitting errors, including four total blocks by the OU front line as they won 25-19. After Kansas City tied the match at 1-1 with a 25-22 set win, the Golden Grizzlies earned a 25-18 victory. OU earned 19 kills in the set led by Holbrook with six kills and a strong defensive effort was led by Humm recording 10 digs and Kirk added seven more.
Both teams fought for momentum in the fourth set as neither team held more than a three-point lead for most of the set as the teams combined for nine ties. With the match knotted at 20-20, the Kangaroos won five out of the next six point on four kills and a service ace to force the final set.
The Golden Grizzlies continue their road trip on Sunday as they will face South Dakota at 3 p.m. ET at the Dakota Dome in Vermillion, S.D.
#FightOakland
