After a slow start, Oakland University’s volleyball team extended its winning streak to five matches over the weekend, sweeping the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons in straight sets Friday and earning a 3-1 victory Saturday, Oct. 11, at the OU Credit Union O’Rena.
On Friday, Oct. 10, middle blocker Anika Prisby led the Golden Grizzlies with 11 kills and a .476 hitting percentage — her second-best mark this season with 10 or more attempts. Setter Delaney Stern posted 27 assists and 12 digs for her sixth double-double, while Lyse Bates added 12 digs and matched her career high with three service aces.
Oakland rallied from an early deficit in the opening set, using key kills from Ella Schomer and Molly Reck to gain momentum. A 4-1 run midway through the frame, sparked by a Libby Smith kill and a Bates ace, helped the Grizzlies pull ahead. Key plays from Prisby and Schomer closed out the set, 25-21.
The Grizzlies controlled the entirety of the second set thanks to kills from Schomer and Grace Cooney. Prisby and Reck added points to retake the lead after a brief tie at 3-3, and Bates delivered another ace to extend the margin. Oakland held off a late push by the Mastodons and closed out the set 25-19.
In the third set, early errors from the Mastodons helped Oakland jump ahead 5-2. Smith and Stern fueled the offense, combining for kills and a service ace to stretch the lead to 13-6. Purdue Fort Wayne then narrowed the gap, bringing the score to an intense 24-23, until Schomer sealed the sweep with the final kill.
Oakland carried its momentum into Saturday’s match, winning in four sets and improving its conference record to 5-2.
Outside hitter Libby Smith led the way with 12 kills and six blocks, totaling a team-high 15.5 points. Stern recorded another double-double with 39 assists and 16 digs. Cooney hit at a .545 rate with seven kills and five blocks, while Caroline Moore added nine kills on a .471 clip. Bates anchored the defense with several key digs and a service ace.
On Saturday, Purdue Fort Wayne stole the first set 25-17 from the Grizzlies, capitalizing on Oakland’s errors.
The Grizzlies responded in the second set with a 4-0 run sparked by a Cooney kill and Stern ace. Moore and Reck provided steady offense on the wings, and Smith and Prisby helped close out a 25-15 win.
Oakland dominated the third set, opening with a Bates ace and an 8-2 run led by Smith and Moore. The Mastodons continued to struggle against Oakland’s serving and the Grizzlies dominated defensively at the net, cruising to a 25-13 win.
In the fourth, Cooney and Smith combined for an early block, and Prisby and Moore added kills to extend the lead. Stern kept the offense in rhythm, and Oakland forced multiple errors to go up 22-11. Smith delivered back-to-back kills before Cooney ended the match with a final strike, 25-11.
Oakland returns to action Friday, Oct. 17, looking to add to their conference wins against Green Bay at 6 p.m. at the O’Rena.