ROCHESTER, Mich. – On Saturday afternoon, Oakland University Volleyball fell 3-0 in straight sets to visiting Cleveland State in #HLVB play at the Athletics Center O'rena.

Both teams would wrestle back and forth to begin the second meeting between the two until the 8-8 mark where the Vikings would use a 5-0 scoring run to take a tense lead before Patti Cesarini and company would drive back on their own to even things up at 14-14. 

Freshman Anika Prisby would have her kill keep OU in the fight while Libby Gentile's 20-point mark would once again even things up while CSU would extend their run down the first set stretch and take the frame 25-21. 

Cleveland State would make a statement out of the gate in the second with Gentile breaking up the onslaught of Viking points at 8-2. CSU would continue to put in enough to keep a comfortable lead in the frame while Cesarini's kills and Viking service errors would keep Oakland within striking distance. In the latter stages, the green and white visitors cleanly get away with the second in 25-15. 

Oakland would fight through a 3-0 deficit in the third en route to an extended set with Anna Nie and Gentile throwing in a block that would propel OU to regain the lead at 6-5. Once again both squads would have to try and shake one another while the game hit 18-15 in favor of CSU. At that point, back-to-back kills by Riedl as well as two attacking errors bookended by another Riedl kill would have the Golden Grizzlies retake the lead at 20-18.

Cesarini would make things interesting in the third at 22-21 after her kill while the Vikings would knot things up once more, throwing in three straight at that. The frame would be decided in extras, falling to CSU's way 27-25.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• For the second time this season, Cesarini was the only Golden Grizzly to hit double-digit kills against CSU
• Gentile and Riedl each tallied eight kills, Riedl with a team-best .500 attacking percentage
• AnnaBelle Tomei aided 18 assists for an average of six per set
• Oakland now seventh in the #HLVB standings

Oakland will be at home all three games next week beginning on Tuesday, November 1 at 6:00 pm with Robert Morris inside the Athletics Center O'rena.