ROCHESTER, Mich. — The Oakland University women's volleyball program continues Horizon League play with matches at Milwaukee on Monday (Match 15) and Tuesday (March 16). The series opener is set for a 7 p.m. ET start on ESPN+, while the Tuesday rematch will commence at 3 p.m. ET. Live stats will be provided for both matches inside the Klotsche Center.
ESPN+ (Monday) |
ESPN+ (Tuesday) |
Live Stats |
Full Schedule |
Team Statistics
INSIDE THE SERIES
• Oakland leads 9-7
• At Home: 5-3
• At MKE: 3-4
• Neutral Site: 1-0
• First Meeting: 9/27/13, Oakland lost, 3-1
• Last Meeting: 11/8/19, Oakland won, 3-1
• Series Note: The Golden Grizzlies have won three-straight matches over MKE
NOTES
> The Golden Grizzlies started the season 5-3 overall with sweeps against Robert Morris and Green Bay, but have since dropped four in a row to the likes of UIC and Purdue Fort Wayne. Oakland has been competitive in the stretch with opening-set wins in two of the four losses. They also brought the HL second-place Flames to five sets in the series finale.
> Oakland has experienced a history of success against the Panthers, including a season sweep in 2019. OU handed Milwaukee its first league loss of the season and snapped the Panthers' NCAA-leading 15-game winning streak in a five-set thriller at home (10/13/19) last season.
Jamie Walling led the way with 23 kills, hitting .340, and seven blocks.
Brittany Welch added 18 kills, 16 digs, and two blocks, while
Lindsay Wightman paced the defense with 24 digs. Later in the same season, the Golden Grizzlies took down the first-place Panthers in four sets on the road. Wightman recorded 22 digs and four service aces in the victory.
Taylor Dellinger and
Brittany Welch contributed with double-digit kills.
> OU leads 9-7 in the all-time series. The Golden Grizzlies have won three-straight over MKE dating back to the 2018 season. The Panthers previously held the advantage with three wins in a row from 2017-18.
> Sophomore middle blocker Ari Miller leads the Panthers in kills per set (3.00), hitting percentage (.311), blocks per set (0.78), and total blocks (28.0). Junior defensive specialist Jess Grabowski ranks sixth in school history with 1,299 career digs. She currently sits fourth in the Horizon League in digs per set (4.69).
> Senior libero Wightman ranks fifth nationally in digs per set (6.00) and 21st nationally in total digs (276). Both marks are second in the Horizon League as well. She leads the Golden Grizzlies in digs, digs per set, aces (11), and aces per set (0.24).
> Wightman ranks third in school history in career digs with 1,558. She surpassed Taylor Humm (1,548 digs) for third place last week against Purdue Fort Wayne. Lauren Duquette (2008 alum) is the program leader in career digs with 1,841.
> Wightman notched 25 or more digs six times in 24 matches during the 2019 season. The senior has totaled 25-plus digs seven times in just 12 matches this season. The Lake Orion, Mich., native had a season-best 36 digs against Green Bay (2/23), which tied for the fourth-high mark in school history and the second-most in her career with Oakland. The performance led to Horizon League Player of the Week honors.
> Walling, a senior middle hitter, became the ninth player in school history to surpass 1,000 career kills in Oakland's home opener against Wright State (2/8). She has amassed 1,113 kills in her career with the Golden Grizzlies, which is good for third in school history. The Normal, Ill., native notched 19 kills in the PFW series to surpass Cassie Pelloni (1,101 kills) and Adrienne Leone (1,112 kills) in the all-time category. Meghan Bray (2012 alum) is the program leader in career kills with 1,578.
> On the season, Walling holds top-10 HL marks in kills (fifth / 146), kills per set (sixth / 3.17), and points (fifth / 166). She has posted 10 or more kills in seven matches, including a season-high 20 kills at a .487 hitting clip in the Golden Grizzlies series-opening match versus Green Bay (2/22)
> Oakland is averaging 18.76 digs per set, which is the 15th-highest mark in NCAA Division I. Three players in Wightman,
AnnaBelle Tomei (2.39), and
Haley Brown (2.36) currently average more than two digs per set.
>
Kerra Cornist ranks third in the HL and first on the team in blocks per set (1.14). To add, the junior transfer is ninth in the conference in total blocks (32) despite playing six fewer sets than every player in front of her on the list. Cornist has recorded two or more blocks in every match she has appeared in, including a career-high nine blocks at UIC (3/2).
> The Golden Grizzlies recorded a season-high 14.0 blocks — three solo, 22 assists — in their series-closing match at UIC (3/2). Cornist (nine blocks),
Jessica Riedl (six blocks), and Welch (five blocks) recorded five-plus blocks.
> Tomei has registered a double-double in four of her last six matches. The sophomore setter has already surpassed her total in the category from a season ago with six double-doubles through 12 matches. On the season, Tomei is one of three Golden Grizzlies with multiple double-doubles.
> Freshman outside hitter
Patti Cesarini ranks second on the team in kills (130) and kills per set (2.83). She earned Horizon League Player of the Week after consecutive 16-kill performances at Robert Morris in her debut week. Cesarini has tallied 10 or more in seven matches, including a season-high 20 kills versus Wright State (2/8).
> 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 welcomed four newcomers — all freshman — in
Kennedy Dolmage,
Anna Nie,
Libby Cleaveland, and Cesarini.
