ROCHESTER, Mich. – The Oakland volleyball team welcomes Horizon League leaders, Milwaukee and Green Bay for Homecoming weekend Oct. 13-14 to the OU Credit Union O'rena.
 
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Oakland will take on first place Milwaukee (14-7, 6-1 HL) Friday at 6 p.m. for Alumni Day, the match will be broadcast on ESPN+. Saturday's match against Green Bay (8-11, 6-1 HL) will serve as Senior Day and is slated for a 4 p.m. start. The Phoenix currently sit in second in the Horizon League standings.    
 
The Golden Grizzlies are just one of two teams to get to double-digit wins on the year, as Oakland sits at 11-8, 5-2 in Horizon League play and currently in third place. Oakland has already matched its win total from a season ago, finishing 11-19 a season ago.
 
Oakland is coming off a 3-1 win against Cleveland State, its lone match of last week. Emily Wichmann continues to be a force for the Golden Grizzlies as the junior remains one of the nation's best defensive specialists. The Crescent Springs, Ky. native ranks tied for fourth in the country in digs this season with 397, while averaging 5.36 per set, placing her ninth in the NCAA and first among the Horizon League. As a team, Oakland sits third the country in digs recording an impressive 1,309 this season, placing the Golden Grizzlies third in the country in digs per set with 17.69.
 
Oakland boasts impressive depth when it comes to hitting percentage, as four Golden Grizzlies are in the Horizon League's top-25, led by junior Ainsley Guse in second (.332) and followed by sophomore Anika Prisby in tenth (.278), redshirt junior Libby Gentile in 21st (.225), and Patti Cesarini in 25th (.193). Cesarini and Gentry Brown remain league-leaders in kills with 3.17 and 2.38 per set, good for fifth and 20th respectively.

SCOUTING THE PANTHERS
Milwaukee enters Friday's match on a two-game win streak and has won eight of its last nine games. The Panthers only loss during that span, and in Horizon League play, was a 3-1 loss to Green Bay on the road.
 
Milwaukee leads the league in hitting percentage, recording a league-best 1,062 kills on the season and hitting at a .244 clip. Graduate student Ari Miller paces the Panthers and the Horizon League hitting at .382 on the year. Miller has also made a statement defensively as the Richfield, Wisc. native has tallied an impressive 97 blocks, averaging 1.18 per set.
 
The Panthers lead the all-time series with the Golden Grizzlies, 13-9, including 3-0 wins in the last six meetings.  

SCOUTING THE PHOENIX
Green Bay heads to Rochester coming off a 3-2 win over Northern Kentucky last time out. The Phoenix went on a five-game win streak to open Horizon League play before falling to Wright State last weekend, 3-2.
 
The Phoenix have been a force from the service line, recording a league-best 135 on the year, tied for 13th in the country. Led by senior Hannah Vanden Berg who has tallied a team and league-best 38 aces of her own, good for seventh in the NCAA.
 
Green Bay holds the slight advantage in the all-time series with the Golden Grizzlies, 14-12. Overall, the series has been an even matchup with the record in the last 10 meetings being split at 5-5.  

FOLLOW OAKLAND
Student-athletes, parents, and fans can follow Oakland Volleyball on social media using @OaklandWVB on Twitter and Instagram. The Gold Standard Name, Image, and Likeness Marketplace is available to bridge NIL opportunities for student-athletes and can be found here via Opendorse.

Additionally, the Oakland University Athletics app is available for download in the Apple and Google Play Stores.