VALPARAISO, Ind. — Oakland (2-3, 0-0 HL) lost 3-1 to Valparaiso (4-1, 0-0 MVC) on Saturday, with set scores of 20-25, 28-26, 16-25 and 17-25. Oakland's set win came in the second frame, when it overcame a three-point deficit and took an 18-17 lead before finishing off the 28-26 set. Oakland hit .333 in that set but finished at .135 for the match, while Valpo hit .320 as Oakland achieved a season-high of nine serve aces in the contest.
Outside hitter Liv Hosford finished with 13 kills on a .417 hitting percentage and added 10 digs for a double-double as opposite hitter Ella Schomer started for the first time this season and recorded 10 kills, six total blocks, and a service ace — totaling a season-high of 14 points. Libero Kalli Cook collected 20 digs and added three assists, while setter Delaney Stern finished with 29 assists, three digs and one block.
Oakland's biggest push came after Valpo moved ahead 16-10, as outside hitter
Molly Reck put down a kill and middle blocker
Lillian Frias added two kills while Oakland closed the gap to 17-15. Earlier, Oakland traded points through the opening stretch, with middle blocker
Grace Cooney and Schomer teaming on a block, Reck adding two kills and a service ace, just one of her career-high four during the match, and Frias serving an ace that put Oakland in front 7-6. The Beacons' attack then created the mid-set deficit, but Hosford helped Oakland stay in the set with consecutive kills that cut it to 18-17 and another kill that made it 19-18. Schomer added a late kill to bring Oakland within 23-20 before Valpo took the final two points to finish the set 25-20.
Oakland won the second set 28-26, answering a 25-24 Valpo edge by taking four of the final five points and closing on an opponent attack error. Earlier, Oakland opened with kills from Hosford and Schomer plus a Hosford ace for a 3-0 start before Valpo worked back and built a 16-13 lead. Oakland answered that deficit with Reck and Frias combining on a block, Reck serving two aces around a Hosford kill, and Stern and Frias later teaming on a block as Oakland moved ahead 18-17. The teams traded points through 24-24, with Schomer, Reck and Hosford supplying late kills for Oakland before the closing exchange finished the set in Oakland's favor.
After absorbing an 0-3 start in the third set, Oakland answered quickly, with outside hitter
Ella Martin putting down a Stern set before a Cook ace and a Valpo attack error moved Oakland in front 4-3. After the Beacons went back ahead 7-4, Oakland tied the set at 7-7 on a block by Schomer and Frias, a Frias kill from Stern and a Schomer ace. Frias achieved a season-high total of seven blocks and recorded her first solo block of the season. Oakland stayed in range through the middle of the set, getting kills from Hosford, Schomer and Martin as the margin sat at 16-14. Valpo then scored four straight points to push the score to 20-14, and Oakland's final two points came on a service error and a Frias kill from Stern before the Beacons finished the set 25-16.
In the fourth set, Oakland fought back twice, first cutting an 11-5 deficit to 11-9 and later getting within 19-17 after trailing 18-10. Earlier in the set, middle blocker
Ellen Zapp and Schomer supplied kills for Oakland's first two points before Valpo built the 11-5 advantage. Hosford then had two kills, and Zapp and Schomer teamed on two blocks as Oakland narrowed the gap to 11-9. After the Beacons pushed ahead 18-10, Oakland won seven of eight rallies behind Zapp's ace, blocks involving Schomer, Frias and Martin, and Valpo attack errors before the Beacons answered with the final six points to take the set 25-17.
The Golden Grizzlies will face Cincinnati for their final match of the Popcorn Classic in Valparaiso on Sunday, Sept. 6, at 1 p.m. ET.
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
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