ROCHESTER, Mich. — The Golden Grizzlies (5-7, 0-0 HL) lost to Illinois State (9-2, 0-0 MVC) in three sets (22-25, 22-25 and 23-25) on Sunday afternoon at the OU Credit Union O'rena. Oakland led 22-19 in the third set after trailing 18-17, but the push was not enough to extend the match. The Golden Grizzlies finished with 36 kills, a .170 hitting percentage, 51 digs, and seven total blocks, one more than the Redbirds.
Outside hitter
Molly Reck led Oakland with 10 kills, added two service aces and collected 10 digs from the back row. Setter
Delaney Stern finished with 27 assists, 11 digs, and two blocks for a double-double. Middle blocker
Lillian Frias added seven kills and a team-high four blocks, recording at least two solo blocks in two consecutive matches, while libero
Kalli Cook recorded 11 digs and three assists.
The Black and Gold dropped a closely played first set 25-22 after the Redbirds moved ahead late and held off the Golden Grizzlies' push. Earlier, Oakland opened with points from an outside hitter
Liv Hosford kill, a Reck kill, and a block by opposite hitter
Ella Schomer and middle blocker
Ellen Zapp to take a 3-0 lead, then continued to stay in front behind kills from Schomer, Stern, Frias, and Hosford. The Redbirds tied the set at 12-12, and Oakland answered several times through Schomer and Frias before the Redbirds moved ahead 19-16. Oakland pulled within 19-18 on a Stern block and a Hosford kill from Cook, then later got kills from Schomer and Reck, but the Redbirds closed the set on a kill for the finish.
Oakland led late in the second set before the Redbirds overtook it down the stretch and finished off a 25-22 set. Earlier, Oakland answered a 4-2 deficit with Frias providing a kill, a block with Schomer, and another kill before defensive specialist
Kiley Gallagher's ace helped put Oakland ahead 8-5. Reck followed with a kill and a service ace during a stretch that extended the margin to 12-7, and Oakland kept finding sideouts through Frias, Zapp, Reck and Schomer as Illinois State worked back to an 18-18 tie. Oakland moved back in front 20-18 on a Redbirds service error and a Frias block, but Illinois State scored four straight points, and after an outside hitter
Ella Martin's kill and another Redbirds attack error tied the set at 22-22, the visitors took the final three points.
The Golden Grizzlies pushed ahead 22-19 late in the third set, but the Redbirds answered with the closing stretch and took the set 25-23. Earlier, Oakland fell behind 3-0 before working back, using a Reck service ace, a block by Frias and Stern, and a Frias kill to move in front 8-6. The set stayed tight through the middle points, with Hosford adding a service ace, Schomer and Reck finishing kills, and Stern tying it at 16-16 with a kill. Oakland later erased an 18-17 deficit behind a Martin kill and Redbirds attack errors to build the 22-19 edge, but the Redbirds scored five straight points to reach set point before a Reck kill pulled Oakland within 24-23 before Illinois State finished the match in front.
The Golden Grizzlies open Horizon League action next week as they head to Green Bay to take on the Phoenix in a two-match series starting on Friday, Sept. 25. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
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.
