ROCHESTER, Mich. – The Oakland volleyball team will visit Robert Morris and Youngstown State for a two-game road swing Friday, Oct. 20 and Saturday Oct. 21 with both matches set to start at 6 p.m. Friday's match against RMU will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Oakland (12-9, 6-3 HL) is 5-2 in its last seven matches, including coming off a big 3-2 win over Green Bay on senior day. The Golden Grizzlies currently sit in fourth place in the Horizon League standings with nine regular season games remaining. Oakland has already surpassed its win total from a season ago, finishing the year 11-19.
Oakland's own
Emily Wichmann continues to be one of the nation's best defensive specialists and is coming off a career day against the Phoenix. The Crescent Springs, Ky. native recorded an impressive 37 digs, a career best, which also places her fourth all-time in a single game in program history. Wichmann's 37 digs is tied for most in a single match this season in the Horizon League. The junior ranks third in the country in digs this season with 447, while averaging 5.45 per set, placing her eighth in the NCAA and first among the Horizon League. As a team, Oakland sits second in the country in digs recording an impressive 1,436 this season, placing the Golden Grizzlies third in the country in digs per set with 17.51.
Senior
Patti Cesarini is coming off an outstanding performance of her own tallying a match-best and season-high 21 kills and 21 digs and hit .238 to lead the Golden Grizzlies in Saturday's win against Green Bay. Cesarini currently sits sixth in the Horizon League in kills per set with 3.16.
Ainsley Guse remains one of the league's best in hitting percentage as the junior ranks fifth (.314) while teammate
Anika Prisby sits in 15th (.254).
The Golden Grizzlies sit fourth in the conference in assists (11.82/set) as
Sarah Turner continues to pace Oakland's offense recording 5.60/set, placing her sixth in the Horizon League.
Rachel Rossman has also played a significant role averaging 4.57 assists per set.
SCOUTING THE COLONIALS
In the last meeting on Sept. 23, Oakland defeated Robert Morris in straight sets, extending its win streak to 11 against the Colonials. The Golden Grizzlies have never fallen to RMU dating back to the first meeting on Nov. 6, 1999.
Last time out, Guse and Prisby recorded 10 kills each, hitting at an impressive .714 and .500 clip respectively.
RMU's (5-16, 2-8 Horizon League) two conference wins were over Cleveland State and most recently, Youngstown State.
Natalie Stepanovich leads RMU in kills (251) and kills per set (3.26), placing her second in the Horizon League.
SCOUTING THE PENGUINS
Youngstown State (7-14, 2-8 Horizon League) will take on Oakland Saturday after taking on Cleveland State Friday. The Penguins enter the weekend on a three-game skid. In the first meeting of the season, Oakland fell to YSU, 3-1.
The Golden Grizzlies own the all-time series 20-8 and boast an 11-3 record on the road against the Penguins.
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.
