ROCHESTER, Mich. - Winners of three of their last four and 1-0 in Horizon League play, the Golden Grizzlies will welcome the Youngstown State Penguins to the OU Credit Union O'rena on Friday, September 22 at 6 p.m. and the Robert Morris Colonials the following day, Saturday, September 23, at 4 p.m.
Both contests will be brought to you by OU Credit Union.
Sweeping the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons on the road in their conference opener on September 19, the Golden Grizzlies previously picked up another road victory over the Mid-American Conference's (MAC) Toledo Rockets on September 12 and split their two matches in Southern Illinois' Saluki Invitational in Carbondale on September 15 and 16.
Earning Saluki Invitational All-Tournament Team honors and achieving a personal milestone by becoming just the 10th player in program history to reach 1,000 career kills against the UT Martin Skyhawks on September 15, senior Patti Cesarini leads Oakland with 165 kills this season and Blissfield redshirt junior Libby Gentile is also in triple figures at 118.
Joining Cesarini in taking home All-Tournament Team recognition in Carbondale, Rochester junior Ainsley Guse paces the Golden Grizzlies with 37 blocks and Richmond sophomore Anika Prisby, an Armada Tiger graduate, is right behind her with 33.
Junior libero Emily Wichmann crossed a special 1,000 threshold of her own recently, registering career dig No. 1,000 in the win over Purdue Fort Wayne. Racking up 25-plus digs in five matches already this season, the Crescent Springs, Kentucky native has 276 on the year.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 VS. YOUNGSTOWN STATE - 6 P.M.
2023 Record: 5-7 (0-1 Horizon League)
Picked to finish eighth in the Horizon League Preseason Poll, the Penguins opened conference play with a four-set loss to the Northern Kentucky Norse on September 19.
In their sixth season under head coach Aline Scott, Columbian junior Jazmin Vergara has a team-high 126 kills for Youngstown State and Sterling, Illinois fifth-year senior Josi Borum is 10 back with 116.
Borum has also been the Penguins' top setter with 247 assists, 25 more than Normal, Illinois senior Isabel Schaefbauer.
Oakland and Youngstown State split their two meetings a year ago and the Golden Grizzlies own a 20-7 edge in the all-time series.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 VS. ROBERT MORRIS - 4 P.M.
2023 Record: 3-9 (0-1 Horizon League)
In their second season of the Danny Doherty era, the Colonials were tied with the IUPUI Jaguars for the nine-spot in the Horizon League Preseason Poll.
Falling to the Wright State Raiders in four sets on September 19, Robert Morris will square off with the Cleveland State Vikings on Friday before their trip to Rochester on Saturday.
Canton, Ohio freshman Natalie Stepanovich and Orchard Park, New York senior Abby Ryan have combined for 257 kills for Robert Morris and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania graduate student Allena Carmody leads the way on the back end with 162 digs.
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