ROCHESTER, Mich. — The Oakland women's volleyball team opens its long-awaited 2021 campaign against Robert Morris on Monday (Jan. 25) and Tuesday (Jan. 26) at the UPMC Events Center. Both days will feature one match, in accordance to the Horizon League schedule protocol. Monday's match will commence at 6 p.m. while Tuesday's will begin at 5 p.m. Live stats will be provided and fans can watch each match on ESPN+.
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Full Oakland Schedule
THOUGHTS FROM COACH BEAM
"We are ready to get back on the floor and compete. Even getting into some of the regular processes has been great. It is kind of funny to dig into the film from 2019 and think that is the most recent take on an opponent available."
"We have been trying to get our team ready for this unique season, which I think we are all excited about. There is a small subset of coaches that have wanted volleyball to be a winter-spring sport for a unique set of reasons and this will be a great trial run for it."
"We have four freshmen and I anticipate each of them to have a role in our system this year. Some of them could play key components, so it was crucial to get them on board in the fall and let them feel comfortable into the winter. Not just on the volleyball part, but with relationships as well. Relationships have been a big focus for our team, which has been a nice area to focus on. However, it has been difficult based on the virtual environment we are occupied in at the moment. You have to figure out how to build human connections on a TV screen."
"I think we have a great team. We have a deep roster where any number of players could impact the match at any time. We have a defensive specialist group that I think is as talented as we have ever had in my time here at Oakland. If you stick your head in the gym, you get to see some outstanding and great-energy plays with unbelievable touches."
INSIDE THE SERIES
Oakland leads 4-2
At Home: 2-0
At RM: 0-1
Neutral Site: 2-1
First Meeting: 11/6/99, Oakland won, 3-0
Last Meeting: 8/26/17, Oakland won, 3-1
Series Note: The Golden Grizzles are 3-0 overall against the Colonials since Beam took over as head coach
NOTES
> Oakland last competed in a volleyball match 430 days ago. The off-period was the first time a year has passed without collegiate competition for the lady Golden Grizzlies, as the Horizon League elected to cancel matches last fall due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
> The HL approved a 16-match schedule against eight conference opponents over nine weeks. The conference format features a Monday-Tuesday two-match split versus seven teams and a one-day doubleheader in the final week of competition.
> Oakland is under the direction of 14th-year head coach
Rob Beam, who guided the Golden Grizzlies to an 8-8 mark in conference play and an overall record of 15-14 in 2019. Beam has helped OU finish fourth or higher in the league standings in eight of the last 10 seasons. In 2014, Beam led Oakland to its first-ever berth to the NCAA Volleyball Tournament.
> OU leads 4-2 in the overall series. The Golden Grizzlies have gone 3-0 against the Colonials since Beam took over as a head coach in 2007. Oakland last faced Robert Morris in 2017, where they won in four sets, 3-1.
Jamie Walling — a freshman at the time — registered eight kills with a .389 hitting percentage in the victory.
> The Golden Grizzlies return a pair of 2019 Honorable Mention All-League selections in Walling and
Lindsay Wightman. Walling, a middle hitter, ranked inside the conference top-10 in points per set (third / 3.97), kills per set (fourth / 3.31), and hitting percentage (eighth / .280), while Wightman was second in the conference in digs per set (5.31) and first on the team in total digs (478). Other key returners include 2019 All-Freshman team recipient
Brittany Welch, along with
Jessica Riedl and Annabelle Tomei.
> OU welcomed four newcomers — all freshman — in
Kennedy Dolmage,
Anna Nie,
Libby Cleaveland, and
Patti Cesarini.
> Oakland was picked fifth in the 2021 Horizon League preseason coaches poll. The Golden Grizzlies tabbed 66 points overall in the poll, which was voted on by the league's 11 head coaches. Defending HL champion Wright State (112) was picked to win the conference and tallied a league-high five first-place votes.
> Robert Morris enters its inaugural year in the HL. The Colonials went 25-5 overall and 15-1 in the Northeast Conference in 2019. The squad was projected to finish ninth in the preseason coaches poll.
