Oakland women’s volleyball hosted Robert Morris University (RMU) for a two-game series beginning Friday night, Oct. 4, for their breast cancer awareness game. In front of a pinked-out crowd, the team took care of the Colonials in only three sets.
“This win means a lot for us, obviously a bit of a slow start to conference play for us, but we’ve really been working hard, and tonight, that showed,” redshirt senior and opposite hitter Libby Smith said.
It was a much-needed show of force for a team that was on a three-game losing streak.
“I think it really helps when everyone gets the chance to talk after a loss and express how they’re feeling and their views on the game,” outside hitter Tyler Linkhart said. “This way, we can say what needs to be said and then move on to our next goal.”
The win got the team their first victory in conference play; it’s the type of dominating performance that a team can rally around.
Let’s take a look at each set and dig into the action.
Set 1: Oakland 31, Robert Morris 29
The Golden Grizzlies would strike first blood with a kill from Smith, jumpstarting an early 4-0 run. Freshman Olivia Rust got her first of three aces on the night, as well.
The Golden Grizzlies largely maintained the lead, but RMU gradually chipped away to make it a 14-12 game with OU on top. Too close for the likes of Oakland, the Golden Grizzlies went on yet another big run, taking it all the way to 19-12. Another two kills from Smith, and one from senior Ainsley Guse helped open the game back up.
“I just prepare by setting goals of what I’m going to do and try to get pumped in the locker room with my teammates,” Smith said. “I don’t have to get into a mindset because every time I go out there, I know I have a job to do.”
More stellar play for Guse (another killer kill and an ace) gave the Golden Grizzlies a 21-13 lead, but Robert Morris fought back with a vengeance, pulling out a 7-0 run. Jaaliyah Evans of the Colonials had three straight kills on the tail end of the run.
RMU would retake the lead at 24-23; from then on, it was back and forth. Senior setter Rachel Rossman had her best assist of the night: a backward bump to Linkhart turned into a kill sent across the court, which claimed the lead at 29. Oakland would finally pull away and win the set 31-29.
“I really think our mindset in the past when games have gotten tight was to play to not lose, but today I really saw a change in our mentality, and we played to win,” Linkhart said.
Set 2: Oakland 25, Robert Morris 21
OU would jump to another huge lead early with a 7-1 start, largely due to RMU’s five errors. Back-to-back kills from Smith and Linkhart brought it to 9-2.
The Colonials were kept at arm’s length for much of the game, trading points with nearly every serve. Neither team scored more than two points in a row until Robert Morris used a 3-0 run to cut the lead to 20-17.
Out of an Oakland timeout, stellar senior libero Emily Wichmann had two unbelievable digs to take the 21st point. However, the Colonials would not go away, bringing it close again at 20-21.
That attack mentality paid off again late, as two kills from Linkhart helped Oakland secure the set at 25-21.
“It sort of depends on who is really consistent for us at the moment,” Wichmann said about strategy as a game gets close. “If a player has been putting the last couple balls down for us, we typically stick to that player since they are in rhythm.”
Set 3: Oakland 25, Robert Morris 21
The Golden Grizzlies claimed an early 3-0 lead before RMU fought back to make it 4-3. Set three was incredibly back-and-forth, with no team scoring three straight until the game stood tied at 17 apiece.
Senior Christina Bohm got up and put down an emphatic spike for OU’s 17th point, which Oakland would later capitalize on with a 4-0 run that brought the game to 21-17.
The ladies finished the set behind stellar play from Bohm with three kills, Rust with four, and Guse with three kills.
“Our mindset was elite tonight — we were focused on the process instead of the goal,” Smith said.
Wichmann, who led the team with 31 digs, reflected on her mindset on the court.
“I know my role on the court and that’s to take as many balls as I can, so going in with that mindset each match puts me in the right headspace,” Wichmann said. “When I stay confident and be a leader on the court, then I know what I am capable of doing.”
The win brought the ladies to 5-11 on the year. Next up are road trips to Purdue, Fort Wayne and Green Bay.