VALPARAISO, Ind. - Beginning their 2023 season with their second-straight weekend tournament, the Oakland Golden Grizzlies are making the trip to Valparaiso, Indiana to compete in the four-team Popcorn Classic beginning Friday, September 1 at 2 p.m. with a battle with the Eastern Michigan Eagles.
Following this tilt with the Eagles, Oakland will play the Western Illinois Leathernecks at 11 a.m. on Saturday, September 2 and the host Valparaiso Beacons at 6 p.m. that same day.
The Golden Grizzlies will enter play at 1-2, having rounded out their Chicago Classic performance with an August 26 victory over the St. Thomas (Minnesota) Tommies following losses to the Lindenwood Lions and UIC Flames.
Junior libero Emily Wichmann was named to the four-player Chicago Classic All-Tournament Team and is just seven digs away from moving into the top-10 in school history in this category, making her a near lock to reach this milestone against Eastern Michigan on Friday.
Below is a brief rundown of each of Oakland's three upcoming opponents in the Popcorn Classic:
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2 P.M. - EASTERN MICHIGAN
2023 Record: 0-3
Picked to finish sixth in the 2023 Mid-American Conference (MAC) West Division Preseason Coaches Poll, the Eagles began their campaign by playing in the CEFCU Invitational in Peoria, Illinois on August 25 and 26, falling to the SIU Edwardsville Cougars, IUPUI Jaguars and host Bradley Braves.
Graduate student outside hitter Callie Minshew, a Mississippi State Bulldogs transfer, leads Eastern Michigan with 42 kills, while Grand Rapids senior Bella Hommes has been strong defensively with a team-high 54 digs and Zanesville, Ohio sophomore setter Elle McLoughlin has racked up 94 of the Eagles' 135 assists.
39-year-old Kevin Foeman, a former minor league baseball player, is in his first season as Eastern Michigan's head coach following successful stints leading the Lake Erie College Storm (2015-17) and Ashland Eagles (2018-22), both of which are located in Ohio and compete at the NCAA Division II level.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 11 A.M. - WESTERN ILLINOIS
2023 Record: 0-2
Western Illinois hosted their own season-opening event, the Leatherneck Classic, and dropped a pair of matches to the Cleveland State Vikings and Murray State Racers on August 25 and 26.
The Leathernecks were pegged to finish 10th in the 11-team Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) Preseason Poll and thus far have been paced by Lincoln, Nebraska outside hitter Brittany Wulf (18 kills), Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin setter Maggie Craker (55 assists) and Manteno, Illinois libero Karli Wenzel (25 digs), all of whom are juniors.
A name likely familiar to fans of Horizon League volleyball, Dale Starr, who spent 12 seasons and won 169 matches with the Robert Morris Colonials from 2010-21, is now in his second year at the helm of Western Illinois.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 6 P.M. - VALPARAISO
2023 Record: 2-1
Traveling to Charleston to participate in the EIU Volleyball Invitational on August 25 and 26, the Beacons began their year with triumphs over the Akron Zips and Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks and a loss to the host Panthers.
Three Valparaiso players have tallied between 20-22 kills and Granger, Indiana sophomore libero Emma Hickey has recorded a team-best 46 digs. Osceola, Indiana redshirt sophomore setter Addy Kois leads the Beacons with 61 assists and McCordsville, Indiana senior Victoria Bulmahn is at 42.
The winningest coach in school history with 473, Carin Avery is in her 22nd season leading the Beacons, who were known as the Crusaders until an August 2021 name change.
TELEVISION LINKS
Every match of the Popcorn Classic will air live on ESPN+ (subscription required).
Here are the links for each of the Golden Grizzlies' three contests:
Eastern Michigan | Western Illinois | Valparaiso
