ROCHESTER, Mich. — The Oakland University volleyball program will open the 2021 regular season at the Golden Dome Invitational from August 27-28 in South Bend, Ind. In the season-opening tournament, OU will take on two nationally-ranked opponents in No. 16 Western Kentucky and No. 25 Notre Dame, along with Loyola Chicago. Live stats will be available for all three matches, while fans can stream OU's contest against tournament host Notre Dame on ACC Network Extra.Â
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
August 27 vs. No. 16 Western Kentucky | 11 a.m. |
Live Stats
August 27 vs. Loyola Chicago | 4:30 p.m. |
Live Stats
August 28 vs. No. 25 Notre Dame | 11 a.m. |
Live Stats |Â
Watch (ACC Network Extra)
THOUGHTS FROM COACH BEAM
"This is a fantastic way to start off the 2021 season. The Golden Dome Invitational is as demanding a tournament as we have competed in during my tenure at Oakland. We will surely be tested in every match at a high level. I want to see the competitiveness of our team come forward. Doing hard things together needs to be a catalyst for our team. That begins by putting out a tremendous effort against great competition."
SCOUTING WKU
Last season, WKU went 23-1 with a Conference USA East Division title, C-USA Tournament Championship, and berth to the NCAA Tournament. The Hilltoppers lone loss came against eventual national champion, Kentucky, in the Sweet 16. WKU's monumental season led to a No. 16 ranking in the AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll, its best in program history. The Hilltoppers return every player from last season's squad, including a trio of All-Americans in middle hitter Lauren Matthews, outside hitter Paige Briggs, and setter Nadia Dieudonne.Â
SCOUTING NOTRE DAME
Notre Dame owned a 15-4 overall record and 13-3 clip against Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) competition last season. The Fighting Irish advanced to the NCAA Tournament, where they were ousted by No. 10 Oregon in the Round of 32. A pair of seniors in outside hitter Charley Niego and setter Zoe Nunez were recently named to the 2021 Preseason All-ACC Volleyball Team.Â
SCOUTING LOYOLA
The Ramblers played to an 11-9 record during the 2021 winter season. Despite an 8-8 record against Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) competition, Loyola managed to reach the MVC Tournament title match, where they fell to Illinois State in four sets. The squad returns six starters and was projected to finish third in conference play.
PRESEASON POLL
Oakland was picked seventh in the 2021 Horizon League preseason coaches poll, which the league's 11 head coaches voted on. Fresh off an HL regular-season title and tournament crown, Wright State was selected to win the conference with 119 points and a league-high nine first-place votes.
Full Release
IN THIS TOGETHER
The Golden Grizzlies bring back all 17 student-athletes on their roster from a season ago, including two fifth-year players in All-Region First Team selection
Lindsay Wightman and three-time All-Horizon League honoree
Jamie Walling.
WELCOME TO THE FAM
OU welcomes three newcomers to the program in
Emily Wichmann,
Kira Buza, and
Clarke Adams. The freshman trio arrives in Rochester from Houston, Texas (Adams), Crescent Springs, Ky. (Wichmann), and nearby Shelby Township, Mich. (Buza).
FIRST FOR EVERYTHING
Last season, Wightman became the first player in program history to tab AVCA All-Region First Team honors. Wightman was voted to the 14-player All-Region Team by coaches who are AVCA members. The Lake Orion, Mich., native was one of just three individuals on the First Team from a non-Power Five program. She was the first Oakland player since Taylor Humm in 2014 (All-Region Honorable Mention) to earn All-Region honors.
CHASING HISTORY
Two fifth-year players in Walling and Wightman have the chance to break individual career records in their final season sporting the Black and Gold. Walling sits third in school history with 1,138 career kills. Hall of Honor inductee Meghan Bray (2009-12) leads the category with 1,578 career spikes, while Melissa Deatsch (2013-16) ranks second with 1,244 kills. Wightman has accumulated 1,648 career digs, good for third in the history of Oakland volleyball. Lauren Duquette (2005-08) tallied a program-best 1,841 digs in her career, followed by Alli Kirk (2009-12) in second with 1,769 career digs.
NEARING A MILESTONE
Junior setter
AnnaBelle Tomei is 137 assists away from becoming the eighth player in school history to reach the 1,000-assist plateau. The setter totaled 548 assists in her debut season with the Golden Grizzlies, followed by 315 assists in her sophomore campaign.
THAT'S OUR COACH
Head coach
Rob Beam enters his 15th season with the Grizzlies. As the longest-tenured volleyball coach in school history, Beam has guided Oakland to nine winning seasons and a berth to the NCAA Volleyball Tournament in 2014. Most recently, Beam helped OU to a 7-9 record during the Covid-19 shortened 2021 winter season.
MEET THE STAFF
Amber Hildebrandt enters her first year as an associate coach with the Golden Grizzlies. No stranger to Rochester, Hildebrandt (then Miehlke) competed at OU from 2009-12 and later served as a volunteer assistant under Beam in 2014. In addition to her time at Oakland, she has coached at Appalachian State (2015-16, 2019-21) and Xavier (2016-17). Graduate assistant
Bekah Strange is set to go for her second season with the Black and Gold. As a four-year starter at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), Strange totaled 1,812 career digs, good for third place in school history. As a senior, she was named Atlantic 10 Libero of the Year and an AVCA All-East Region selection.Â
NEXT UP
Following the Golden Dome Invitational, Oakland will return home to host the Golden Grizzlies Invitational from Sept. 3-5 at the Athletics Center O'rena. OU will take on Bradley and Eastern Michigan at the tournament.
