HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Kent. – Completing their two-match weekend road trip, the Oakland Golden Grizzlies fell to the Northern Kentucky Norse, 3-1, on Saturday, October 22.

Punctuated by redshirt sophomore Libby Gentile, the Golden Grizzlies won the first set, 25-22, before Northern Kentucky rallied back to win the final three, 25-14, 25-15, 25-18.

Oakland is now 9-15 overall and 5-7 in Horizon League play in 2022, good for a fifth-place tie with the Cleveland State Vikings in the conference standings.

The league's third-best team at 11-11 (9-2), the Norse are just a half-game back of the Green Bay Phoenix for second-place and are now on a six-match win streak.

Freshman Madison Tracy helped lead the way for Northern Kentucky Saturday, racking up a match-high 28 assists, while senior Anna Burke contributed 16 digs and Abby Kanakry – a redshirt senior from Grosse Pointe North – tallied 13 kills.

Fan favorite redshirt sophomore Patti Cesarini led the match with 16 kills for the Golden Grizzlies, with sophomore Emily Wichmann recording the same number of digs and senior AnnaBelle Tomei registering 14 assists.

POSTSEASON PICTURE
Hosted by the regular season champion – which, right now, would be the Wright State Raiders – the 2022 Horizon League Volleyball Tournament is set to begin in just under a month with the quarterfinals on November 18.

The top-six of the conference's 10 volleyball programs qualify for the tournament, with Oakland currently holding the No. 5 spot. If things stand like they presently are, the Golden Grizzlies would play the No. 4 Milwaukee Panthers in a quarterfinal.

UP NEXT
Returning to Rochester to begin a welcome four-match homestand, Oakland will next be in action on Saturday, October 29 against Cleveland State at 4 p.m.