CHICAGO, Ill. - Picking up their first victory of the 2023 season and playing their final match in the two-day Chicago Classic, the Oakland Golden Grizzlies defeated the St. Thomas (Minnesota) Tommies, 3-1, on Saturday, August 26 at Credit Union 1 Arena.

Prevailing 25-23 in a thrilling first set, the Golden Grizzlies also won the second set, 25-20, before St. Thomas took the third, 25-13, and Oakland claimed the fourth by the same score as the third.

Three Golden Grizzlies tallied double-digit kills, led by sophomore Anika Prisby with 13 and followed by junior Sydney Green with 12 and Shadyside, Ohio freshman Gentry Brown with 11.

Junior libero Emily Wichmann racked up a match-high 25 digs and three aces and sophomore setter Rachel Rossman paced Oakland with 23 assists.

River Falls, Wisconsin freshman setter Morgan Kealy had a strong afternoon for the Tommies, leading all players with 41 assists and recording 16 digs and Minneapolis' Keya Luta Win Hunt and Plymouth, Minnesota's Ella Voegele, both sophomores, each added a pair of aces.

Having now registered their first victory here in 2023, the 1-2 Golden Grizzlies will return to action at 2 p.m. on Friday, September 1 against the Mid-American Conference's (MAC) Eastern Michigan Eagles (0-3) in the Popcorn Classic in Valparaiso, Indiana.

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