EAST LANSING, Mich. — The Oakland Golden Grizzlies (4-6, 0-0 HL) fell 3-1 to Michigan State (9-0, 0-0 B1G) on Tuesday inside the Breslin Center, by set scores of 16-25, 26-24, 16-25 and 21-25. Oakland's set-two push moved it from a one-point deficit to a 9-4 advantage, and the Golden Grizzlies went on to take the set 26-24 — snapping the Spartans' 24-straight-set winning streak that began with their season opener against Miami. Oakland finished with 67 digs but hit .082 while MSU hit .247 and totaled 16 blocks on the court.
Outside hitter
Liv Hosford led Oakland with 16 kills and 17.0 points, adding five digs and one block. Setting the 5-1,
Delaney Stern recorded 33 assists and a season-high 16 digs while adding a service ace, while outside hitter
Molly Reck collected 16 digs from the back row and added four kills, recording a season-high in digs. Libero
Kalli Cook posted 14 digs, seven assists, and a career-high three service aces from the line.
The Golden Grizzlies opened up the match with a service ace by Cook, but the Spartans answered with three straight points and kept Oakland chasing. The Golden Grizzlies put together consecutive points from 8-16 to 11-16, capped by a Hosford kill from Stern, but MSU closed out the set 25-16.
Oakland withstood a late Spartans push after its 22-16 lead became a 22-22 tie, answering again after the set was tied at 24. Earlier, Oakland won seven straight points to turn a 3-4 deficit into a 10-4 lead. Opposite hitter
Ella Schomer put Oakland back in front with a kill, and middle blocker
Lillian Frias followed with a kill from Stern to finish a 26-24 set win.
The Black and Gold stayed even through 8-8, with middle blocker
Grace Cooney contributing early kills and Cook serving an ace to tie the set. MSU created separation from there and closed the set 25-16, despite late Oakland kills from outside hitter
Ella Martin and Hosford.
Oakland moved in front 21-20 on a Hosford kill from Stern, but the Spartans scored the final five points to take the fourth set 25-21. Earlier in the closing stretch, a Frias kill and a Hosford block helped Oakland answer a 19-17 deficit, and Hosford also put Oakland ahead 20-19 with another Stern-assisted kill.
The Golden Grizzlies are back inside the OU Credit Union O'rena for the final weekend of non-conference as they host Marist and Illinois State for the Oakland Invitational this weekend. First serve is set for Friday, Sept. 18, at 6 p.m. ET on the Blacktop.
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.
