ROCHESTER, Mich. - The Golden Grizzlies volleyball team is getting ready for their last home matches of the season as it'll host the Raiders of Wright State at the OU Credit Union O'rena Friday (Nov. 15) at 6:00 p.m. ET and Saturday (Nov. 16) at 2:00 p.m. ET.

The team looks to bounce back and secure a pair of wins after it fell to Northern Kentucky last weekend.

In the opening match, the Norse started the first set on a 6-0 run, establishing control. Libby Smith and Gentry Brown put up responses with kills, but Oakland struggled to bridge the gap. Midway through set two, Oakland staged a brief rally, with Tyler Linkhart and Smith delivering back-to-back kills, helping cut Northern Kentucky's lead to three points. However, a late 6-0 surge by the Norse sealed the set. The third set saw a promising start from Oakland with a few scoring runs, including blocks by Rachel Rossman and Ainsley Guse, but Northern Kentucky's offensive momentum proved too strong, clinching the final set. Linkhart led Oakland with six kills, Rossman added 15 assists and three blocks, and Wichmann contributed a team-high ten digs.

In the second match, Oakland struggled to find consistency, allowing Northern Kentucky to capitalize with strong serves and an efficient offense, despite two kills each from Linkhart, Smith, and Rust. The Golden Grizzlies pushed back in set two, keeping it close early with Linkhart's offense and a pair of momentum-building kills from Smith. However, a few Oakland errors allowed Northern Kentucky to extend their lead, resulting in another set loss. The third set was Oakland's best, as they stayed neck-and-neck with Northern Kentucky. Strong plays from Linkhart, Smith, and Sydney Green, along with Wichmann's ace and solid digs, kept Oakland competitive. Guse and Rossman also had key blocks, nearly leading to a set win. Oakland ultimately fell 25-27, with Linkhart finishing the day with nine kills, Wichmann totaling 15 digs, and Rossman providing 15 assists.

FRIDAY/SATURDAY, NOV. 15/16
OPPONENT: Wright State
TIME: 6:00 p.m. (Friday), 2:00 p.m. ET (Saturday)
LIVE STATS
LIVE STREAM: ESPN+ (Friday) (Saturday)

Historically between Wright State and Oakland, the Golden Grizzlies are 13-15 and have won one match in the last 12 meetings. The previous match between these two, coming last season at home, the Raiders came out on top, 3-1. Brown and Smith had a combined 12 kills, Guse recorded four blocks and Christina Bohm and Smith both had a pair of 3 blocks each. 

As a team, Oakland has 51 solo blocks and 195 blocks total while Wright State has 35 solo blocks and 185 blocks total. Oakland also has 1647 digs, with Senior Libero Emily Wichmann leading the Golden Grizzlies with 582 on the year. On the other hand, Wright State has 1592, with Senior Defensive Specialist Jenny Wessling pacing the team with 463 on the year. 

Wright State, who ranks atop of the Horizon League, is led by Sam Ott who has 317 kills, followed by Mya Ayro who has 312 kills. At the net Reilly Zegunis leads in blocks with 74.0 total, as Haley Robinson is behind with 54.0 blocks.

Friday's match is set to begin at 6:00 p.m. ET, while Saturday's match will begin at 2:00 p.m. ET. Both matches will be streamed live on ESPN+.