CHICAGO, Ill. - Officially beginning their 2023 season, the Oakland Golden Grizzlies will make the trip to Illinois to compete in the four-team Chicago Classic beginning Friday, August 25 with a tilt against the Ohio Valley Conference's (OVC) Lindenwood Lions at 11 a.m.
Oakland will then play the UIC Flames, a former Horizon League foe, at 8 p.m. on Friday, followed by a battle with The Summit League's St. Thomas (Minnesota) Tommies at 2 p.m. on Saturday, August 26.
Picked to finish sixth in Thursday's 2023 Under Armour #HLVB Preseason Poll, the Golden Grizzlies defeated the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's (GLIAC) Grand Valley State Lakers, 3-1, in an exhibition match on August 19 at the OU Credit Union O'rena.
Senior outside hitter Patti Cesarini, who hails from La Grange Park in the Chicagoland area, led all players with 14 kills in this exhibition, while junior libero Emily Wichmann tallied a match-high 23 digs.
Setters Rachel Rossman and Sarah Turner, a sophomore and graduate student, respectively, combined to record 44 assists and redshirt junior opposite Libby Gentile is another student-athlete who has looked strong early.
Beginning with Friday morning's clash with Lindenwood, here is a quick look at each of the Golden Grizzlies' three upcoming opponents this weekend.
LINDENWOOD - FRIDAY, AUGUST 25 AT 11 A.M.
Located in Saint Charles, Missouri and led by seventh-year head coach Will Condon, the Lions were picked to finish seventh in the 11-team OVC.
Posting a 12-17 (8-10) mark a year ago, Lindenwood's roster has a significant in-state feel, as 11 of the Lions' 17 student-athletes hail from America's 24th state, including senior outside hitter Amber Schade and junior setter Abby VanBuskirk.
UIC - FRIDAY, AUGUST 25 AT 8 P.M.
ST. THOMAS (MINN.) - SATURDAY, AUGUST 26 AT 2 P.M.
Building the program into a national force at the Division III level, head coach Thanh Pham is entering his 21st season at the helm of the Tommies in 2023 and his team is looking to improve on their 4-26 (2-16 Summit League) mark a year ago.
Projected to finish eighth of nine schools in their conference this fall, Woodbury, Minnesota junior outside hitter Lauren Galvin averaged 3.1 kills, 2.3 digs and 3.5 points-per-set in 2022 and Plymouth, Minnesota sophomore middle blocker Emma Goerger saw action in all 30 matches as a freshman.
The Tommies are beginning their third season of Division I competition this year, as the school made the jump directly from Division III in 2021.
