ROCHESTER, Mich. -- The Oakland volleyball team will host Milwaukee Friday, Oct. 26 at 6 p.m. and UIC Saturday, Oct. 27 at 4 p.m. inside the O'rena. Both matches will be aired live on ESPN+.

The Golden Grizzlies suffered a five set loss to the Panthers last time they faced each other on Oct. 13 and dropped a four-set loss to UIC in Chicago on Oct. 12.

Friday is Childhood Cancer Awareness day where fans are encouraged to show their support by wearing gold. Saturday is an Alumni Reunion for the volleyball program, as they welcome back alumni who will be recognized during the match.

INSIDE THE SERIES

• Oakland is 4-6 all-time against Milwaukee, having dropped its last three matches to the Panthers.
• The Golden Grizzlies are 8-4 all-time against UIC and have won six of their last eight matches against the Flames.
• Oakland is 4-1 all-time against UIC at home.

HORIZON LEAGUE TOP-10 RANKINGS (as of Oct. 25)

• Hitting percentage: Jamie Walling, fourth, .281.; Krysteena Davis, ninth, .261.
• Assists per set: Jordan Lentz, third, 9.58.
• Kills per set: Walling, fourth, 3.16.
• Blocks: Davis, third, 1.14; Jessica Riedl, ninth, 0.98.
• Digs per set: Lindsay Wightman, fifth, 4.73.
• Points per set: Walling, fourth, 3.67.

NOTES

• Walling has recorded three straight matches of over 20 kills and is averaging 4.46 kills per set in that span.
• Walling set a career high with 23 kills on Oct. 13 vs. Milwaukee, then matched that in her next outing on Oct. 20 vs. Youngstown State.
• Davis recorded a season high 10 blocks on Oct. 3 against Wright State which is also the most by a Horizon League players this season.
• On Aug. 28 Oakland secured a 3-1 win at Bowling Green as Wightman recorded 39 digs, the second-most in program history for an individual match and was just three digs short of breaking current Oakland assistant coach Lauren Duquette's record.
• Jamie Walling was named Horizon League Offensive Player of the Week on Aug. 27 after finishing with 40 kills in Oakland's first three matches in which the Golden Grizzlies took the tournament title at Purdue Fort Wayne.  She registered 2.86 kills per set and a .451 hitting percentage while committing just eight errors in 71 attempts and was named to the all-tournament team.
• The Golden Grizzlies claimed the Purdue Fort Wayne Tournament title (Aug. 24-25), their first tournament title since 2016. Lentz was named the tournament MVP.
• Rob Beam is in his 12th season with Oakland compiling a 182-166 (.523) record.
• Oakland was picked to finish second in the 2018 Horizon League Volleyball Preseason Poll earning three first-place votes and 67 points overall, just two points behind preseason favorite and reigning league champion Cleveland State.
•  The Golden Grizzlies are coming off a 2017 season in which they finished second in the conference with a 12-4 record and a 17-12 overall record. The 12 league wins matched a program-best in the Division I era for Oakland and was the fifth time the Black and Gold recorded 12 wins in league play under Beam.
• Oakland returns all-league selections Krysteena Davis and Walling to the 2018 squad plus starters Lentz and Wightman.
• Davis led the conference in total blocks (161) and blocks per set (1.42) a season ago which ranked 19th and 20th respectively in the NCAA and were single season school records.
• Walling enters her sophomore campaign after leading the team with a .295 hitting percentage as a freshman, the fourth-best in a single season in Oakland history. She also became the first freshmen to lead Oakland in hitting percentage since 2014.
• The Golden Grizzlies have a new look to their coaching staff this season adding former players Duquette (assistant coach) and Sammy Condon (graduate assistant). Duquette takes over duties for associate head coach Claire Galli who will miss the 2018 season on maternity leave. 

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