DAYTON, Ohio — The Oakland Golden Grizzlies volleyball team (7-22, 7-10 HL) dropped to Wright State (18-10, 12-5 HL) on Friday at C.J. McLin Gymnasium, falling in straight sets 25-17, 25-18, 25-23. The Golden Grizzlies battled closely in the third set, led by their strong back row effort, totaling 64 digs and a .218 hitting percentage from the Golden Grizzly offense.

Opposite hitter Caroline Moore led the attack with 11 kills on 25 attempts, adding three block assists to round out a balanced performance. Libero Lyse Bates made a defensive impact with 24 digs across the match, contributing significantly to the team's efforts on the backline as starting setter Delaney Stern distributed the ball effectively, posting 26 assists while also collecting 12 digs for another double-double this season. Middle blocker Ellen Zapp excelled at the net, recording five total blocks and adding three kills to her tally.

Oakland opened the first set with an early advantage, capitalizing on two attacking errors by the Raiders to take a two-point lead. However, WSU quickly responded, tying the score at 2-2 with a kill by Taylor Bransfield. Despite a brief surge from the Golden Grizzlies, including a kill on the rightside by Moore, the Raiders regained control, extending their lead to 9-5 through a series of offensive plays. Oakland attempted to close the gap with key contributions from outside hitters Ella Martin and Libby Smith, narrowing the score to 16-13. Nevertheless, Wright State maintained their momentum, ultimately closing the set at 25-17.

A challenging second set awaited OU as the Raiders surged early, taking a 4-1 lead, largely due to Oakland errors. Martin responded with a kill to close the gap at 3-4, contributing to Oakland's efforts to stay competitive. Despite several strong plays, including kills from middle blocker Grace Cooney and Smith, Oakland struggled to maintain momentum, trailing 6-9 nearing the halfway mark. Later in the set, a key block stuffed by Moore and Zapp helped narrow the deficit to five points. Oakland continued to battle with Smith and Moore adding points, but Wright State maintained their advantage and took an eight point set.

Oakland made a strong push in the third set, highlighted by Moore's crucial kill from Stern to tie the score at 17-17, after a full set rallying back-and-forth on the board. Oakland continued their momentum, with Cooney and Smith contributing key kills to keep the scoreline competitive at 23-23. However, WSU secured the final two points and took the match.

Oakland is back to face the Raiders on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. ET for their final match of the 2025 season.


How to Follow Oakland Volleyball: For complete information on Oakland Volleyball, follow the team on X at @OaklandWVB and head coach Krista Rice at @KKg1007. The team is also on Instagram.