ROCHESTER, Mich. - The Golden Grizzlies bounced back and secured its first home win of the season after it swept St. Francis this afternoon at the OU Credit Union O'rena.
 
SET ONE: OAKLAND 25, ST. FRANCIS 16
In the opening set, Oakland asserted control early, benefiting from back-to-back blocks by Sydney Green and Ainsley Guse to take a 2-0 lead. Saint Francis responded with a kill, but a series of attack errors from Saint Francis helped the Golden Grizzlies extend the lead to 4-1.

Oakland continued to pressure Saint Francis with solid offensive execution. Kills from Green, along with more errors from the Red Flash, allowed the Golden Grizzlies to stay ahead. At 10-10, a key sequence swung the momentum, starting with a kill by Gentry Brown followed by a bad set from St. Francis. Rachel Rossman then delivered two consecutive service aces, pushing the lead to 14-10.

Saint Francis struggled to regain composure, suffering from service and attack errors that let Oakland build its advantage. Oakland's attack stayed sharp with Brown, Tyler Linkhart and Green each contributing kills as the Grizzlies pushed ahead. Despite a brief rally from Saint Francis to close the gap to 19-16, Oakland responded with an ace from Linkhart, two attack errors by the Red Flash, and another kill from Brown.

The Golden Grizzlies clinched the set 25-16, closing it out on a ball-handling error from Saint Francis. Oakland's disciplined defense, highlighted by strong blocking and opportunistic serving, combined with Saint Francis' costly errors, paved the way for a dominant first set win.
 
SET TWO: OAKLAND 25, ST. FRANCIS 15
Oakland carried its momentum from the first set into set two, jumping out to a quick 2-0 lead thanks to a service error by Saint Francis and a ball-handling error. Saint Francis managed to respond with a kill, quickly answered to keep the Golden Grizzlies ahead, 3-2.

Green and Rossman continued to apply pressure, with both contributing kills to extend the Oakland lead to 4-2. Saint Francis stayed in the set with a kill, but another ball-handling error by the Red Flash and a service ace from Linkhart put Oakland back up, 7-5. A sequence of Saint Francis errors, including attack miscues, allowed Oakland to further stretch the lead to 9-7.

The Golden Grizzlies' defense stepped up, as Guse and Libby Smith combined for a block, while Green followed up with a kill to make it 12-9. Oakland's offense found a rhythm with Rossman distributing well, leading to kills from Guse and Linkhart. Saint Francis struggled to keep pace, committing multiple errors that allowed Oakland to extend the advantage to 17-11.

Late in the set, Oakland continued its offensive dominance with Green and Linkhart hammering kills, while Linkhart added another service ace to bring the Golden Grizzlies to 22-15. A kill by Smith, followed by Brown's strike, brought Oakland to set point, and a bad set by Saint Francis handed the Golden Grizzlies the set, 25-15.
 
SET THREE: OAKLAND 25, ST. FRANCIS 21
Oakland looked to close out the match in set three with a strong start, quickly gaining a 2-0 lead thanks to kills from Green and Brown. Saint Francis responded with a kill, but Oakland's offense remained potent as Green continued her strong play, bringing the score to 4-1 in favor of the Golden Grizzlies.

Errors from Saint Francis, including an attack error, allowed Oakland to maintain its momentum. The Golden Grizzlies capitalized on its opponent's miscues, extending the lead to 6-3 with contributions from Linkhart and Guse. Despite a few kill attempts from Saint Francis, it couldn't keep pace with Oakland's efficient attack, as kills from Linkhart and another attack error pushed the score to 8-3.

The Golden Grizzlies were relentless, using strong serves and balanced offense. A kill by Smith and errors by Saint Francis allowed Oakland to extend its lead to 13-7. Brown and Linkhart added to the offensive onslaught, while Saint Francis struggled with its service errors and ball-handling mistakes.

Saint Francis did rally briefly, and closed the gap to 19-16. However, Oakland's composure prevailed as Linkhart delivered a timely kill to break the run. The Golden Grizzlies capitalized on Saint Francis errors, pushing the score to 22-19.

Although Saint Francis continued to fight, with a number of kills late, Oakland remained steady. Brown's strong attack, capped by a decisive kill from Linkhart, brought the set to a close, 25-21, securing a straight-set victory for the Golden Grizzlies.
 
 
Both Green and Linkhart paced the team with nine kills each, as Green hit at a .500 clip where Linkhart swung at a .429 clip. Linkhart also added a trio of aces while Guse totaled two blocks.
 
UP NEXT
The Golden Grizzlies close out the Michigan/Oakland Invitational as it heads to Ann Arbor, Mich., to take on the University of Michigan Wolverines, with first serve set for 1:00 p.m. ET. Tomorrow's match will be streamed live on Big Ten+.