On Tuesday, Sept. 30, Oakland’s volleyball team faced off against Cleveland State, where they were able to pick up their first win in four sets after an unfortunate 0-14 start to the season.
The team also achieved some individual season-best performances. As a team, they reached 68 kills with a .268 hitting percentage, along with 84 digs from a strong back row.
In set one, the Grizzlies were in a 3-0 deficit, but they didn’t let that stop them. OU’s Libby Smith and Ellen Zapp kept the match competitive by contributing multiple valuable kills each.
The Grizzlies got their edge back thanks to Anika Prisby and Caroline Moore’s key points. The set had several tied scores before Oakland capitalized on the Vikings’ errors. Libby Smith gave an epic closing sequence of four kills to close out the set 25-19.
Going into set two, the Grizzlies gained their momentum quickly with a 3-0 run that extended to 6-1 after strong attacks and errors from Cleveland. The Vikings clapped back with a swift six-point run to tie the score up 8-8.
The Grizzlies took back control thanks to Anika Prisby and Ella Martin and pushed the score to 20-18. The Grizzlies maintained their strong lead to close out the set 25-21.
The third set had the Grizzlies trying to keep their edge and take the game in a three-set sweep. Ellen Zapp and Libby Smith gave early kills to keep the score close.
Despite the Vikings getting ahead, the Grizzlies kept their edge and rallied with Ella Schomer and Lyse Bates making key plays. The Vikings ultimately took the set 23-25 thanks to a series of back-to-back kills.
The Grizzlies found their momentum in the fourth set with a 2-0 lead.
After a brief period of errors, Cleveland leveled the score 3-3 before the Grizzlies regained control with a crucial kill from Ella Schomer. The Vikings found their edge with a set of kills to take a seven-point lead.
Despite Cleveland pulling away, the Grizzlies slowly chipped away at the deficit to bring it down to a one-point difference. After tying the score at 23, both teams fought back-and-forth for who would take the win.
Finally, Oakland took the set in extra points 28-26.
The Grizzly stats added up to some of their best performances. Libby Smith led with a career high 22 kills and a .367 hitting percentage. Setter Delaney Stern was crucial in setting up the front row by recording another career high of 55 assists. Defensively, Lyse Bates tied her career best at 26 digs.
Middle blockers Ellen Zapp and Anika Prisby were efficient on the attack. Zapp also achieved 12 kills with a .400 hitting percentage, the best of her rookie year, while Anika Prisby matched her career high of 14 kills while operating off a .313 hitting percentage.
The Golden Grizzlies will match up next with Purdue Fort Wayne on Friday, Oct. 10 in the OU Credit Union O’Rena at 6 p.m. and look to secure another win on their home court.