ROCHESTER, Mich. — The Oakland University women's volleyball program closes Horizon League play with a doubleheader at Youngstown State on Monday, March 22 inside the Beeghly Center. The series opener is set for a noon start, while the second match will commence at 5 p.m. Both matches will stream on ESPN+. Live stats will also be provided.
ESPN+ (Game 1) |
ESPN+ (Game 2) |
Live Stats |
Full Schedule |
Team Statistics
INSIDE THE SERIES
• Oakland leads 15-6
• At Home: 8-3
• At YSU: 7-3
• Neutral Site: 0-0
• First Meeting: 10/3/98, Oakland lost, 3-0
• Last Meeting: 11/3/19, Oakland won, 3-0
• Series Note: The Golden Grizzlies have won 15-straight matches over YSU
NOTES
> The Golden Grizzlies were slated to host Youngstown State for their final home series of the season but construction inside the Athletics Center O'rena resulted in the location of the doubleheader to flip.
> The top four teams in the conference standings after the regular season will advance to the Horizon League Volleyball Championship from March 28 to April 3. The highest-available seed will host in the semifinal and championship round.
> Oakland currently sits seventh in the HL standings at 5-9 overall. The Golden Grizzlies started the season 5-3 overall with sweeps against Robert Morris and Green Bay but have since dropped six in a row to the likes of UIC, Purdue Fort Wayne, and Milwaukee.
> OU is coming off a pair of straight-set losses at Milwaukee.
Patti Cesarini and
Brittany Welch tied for the team lead in kills in the series with 14 apiece.
Lindsay Wightman led the defense by averaging 6.33 digs per set.
AnnaBelle Tomei averaged 5.33 assists per set to pace the OU setters.
> The Golden Grizzlies have won 15-straight matches over the Penguins dating back to the 2013 season. Oakland swept YSU with a pair of straight-set decisions during the 2019 campaign. OU leads the all-time series, 15-6, as YSU came away with victories in the first six matches between the two programs from 1998 to 2000.
> The Penguins are led by senior libero Margaux Thompson, who ranks eighth in the Horizon League in digs per set (3.56) and 10th in total digs (146). The four-year starter has tallied 1,193 digs in her career at YSU— the fourth-most in program history. Sophomore Jose Borum ranks first on the team in kills (109), kills per set (2.73), and points (119.0).
> Senior libero
Lindsay Wightman ranks fourth nationally in digs per set (6.04) and 19th nationally in total digs (314). She leads the Golden Grizzlies in digs, digs per set, aces (12), and aces per set (0.23).
> Wightman ranks third in school history in career digs with 1,596. She surpassed Taylor Humm (1,548 digs) for third place 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 14 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 1,126 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 / 159), kills per set (seventh / 3.06), and points (fifth / 180.5). She has posted 10 or more kills in eight 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 18.56 digs per set, which is the 14th-highest mark in NCAA Division I. Three players in Wightman,
Haley Brown (2.38), and
AnnaBelle Tomei (2.31) currently average more than two digs per set.
>
Kerra Cornist ranks third in the HL and first on the team in blocks per set (1.12). To add, the junior transfer is eighth in the conference in total blocks (38) despite playing seven fewer sets than every player in front of her on the list. Cornisthas 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 eight matches. The sophomore setter has already surpassed her total in the category from a season ago with six double-doubles through 14 matches. On the season, Tomei is one of three Golden Grizzlies with multiple double-doubles.
> Tomei has garnered double-digit assists in every match this season. She leads the team in assists per set (5.25) and total assists (273).
> Freshman outside hitter
Patti Cesarini ranks second on the team in kills (144) and kills per set (2.77). She earned Horizon League Player of the Week after consecutive 16-kill performances at Robert Morris in her debut week. Cesarinihad 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.
