ROCHESTER, Mich. – With only six regular-season matches remaining, Oakland opens Horizon League play this weekend at home against Milwaukee. The teams will compete at Bloomfield Tennis & Fitness, the Golden Grizzlies' usual home court, with first serve set for 4:30 p.m. (EST).

The Golden Grizzlies (3-8) return from their West Coast trip to California, where they split their two matches against the University of Redlands (3-5) and UC Irvine (9-5). With the win over the Bulldogs, Oakland snapped its winless streak, earning its first victory in nearly a month.

During the trip, sophomore Nisa Bulut and freshman Oliwia Klimas recorded their first doubles win of the season, helping the team secure the doubles point against Redlands. Juniors Edie Hammond and Emilia Jarvinen improved their season doubles record to 7-2 versus the Bulldogs. Oakland then fell 7-0 to the Anteaters, who were on their longest winning streak since the 2013-14 season, before falling to Richmond on March 10.

This marks the second consecutive year Oakland will open league play against Milwaukee. The Golden Grizzlies traveled to Wisconsin to start the season last year, earning a 4-3 victory.

SCOUTING THE PANTHERS
Milwaukee (5-7) will face the Golden Grizzlies before traveling to Orlando, Florida, for two non-conference matches, then returning to close out the season in Horizon League play. In their most recent match, the Panthers earned a 6-1 win over Whitewater, claiming all but one point due to a team injury.

Earlier this season, Oakland faced several Milwaukee opponents at the Horizon League Individual Championships. Against the Panthers, the Golden Grizzlies went 4-2 in singles and 0-1 in doubles. The singles semifinals featured Oakland's Klimas and sophomore Martyna Piechowicz, along with Milwaukee's Nikola Nikolajeva and Nel Van Hout, underscoring the strength of both programs this season. It was the Black and Gold that ultimately prevailed, as Klimas and Piechowicz secured victories to advance to the finals.

Last season, the two programs met twice during the winter: once in the regular season and once in the conference tournament. Oakland secured the doubles point in the regular-season match, with the pairs of Hammond/Jarvinen (6-3) and senior Tara Montreuil/Piechowicz (7-5) earning wins. Bulut (6-3, 6-1), Piechowicz (4-6, 6-0, 6-1), and Hammond (6-3, 6-7 (3-7), 6-4) added singles victories to lift Oakland to a win in a match that lasted over three and a half hours. In conference play, however, Milwaukee flipped the script, earning the doubles point and three singles victories in a 4-2 decision. Bulut (6-1, 7-6 (7-5)) and Piechowicz (6-3, 6-4) provided Oakland's two singles points, but it was not enough to extend the season.  

In this year's Under Armour Horizon League Women's Tennis Preseason Poll, Oakland received the top ranking for the first time in program history, earning four first-place votes and 34 total points. Milwaukee was ranked third, receiving one first-place vote and 27 total points, just one behind second-ranked Youngstown State.

With both teams returning most of their rosters from last season—five for Oakland and seven for Milwaukee—this matchup will be an early test of which program will assert itself as a contender in both league play and at the conference championship at the end of April.

Results from the match will be posted on goldengrizzlies.com once completed.

How to Follow Oakland Women's Tennis: For complete information on Oakland Women's Tennis, follow the team on Instagram at @oaklandtennis_ and on X at @OaklandWTennis.