Oakland ousted by NDSU in Summit League semifinals
BY DAN GLIOT
OAKLAND COMMUNICATIONS
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Meghan Bray recorded 19 kills while hitting .300 for the match and Alli Kirk added 28 digs but the Oakland volleyball team suffer a four-set loss to North Dakota State in the opening round of The Summit League Championship tournament Friday evening at Gates Sports Center.
“I am very proud of our team, not only for our effort that they put into this match, but the way they competed this season,” said head coach Rob Beam. “We achieved so much and set a new standard for our program. I give much credit to our seniors. Each of them has left a lasting mark in a unique way and we will draw on the tradition they have created for years to come.”
Taylor Humm was second on the team in kills for the match as she chipped in with 10 on the night for Oakland (18-11, 12-7). Alissa Valentine and Ashley Nevelle combined for 40 assists with Valentine leading with 21. Four Golden Grizzlies recorded double-digit digs including Kirk (28), Becca Means (13), Valentine (11) and Bray (10).
NDSU (25-8, 17-2) came out strong in the opening set winning 25-15 as they held OU to only six kills and a .033 team hitting percentage in the set. Chrissy Knuth led the Bison recording seven kills on only 10 attempts in the first set to lead NDSU. Knuth finished the match with 16 kills.
Oakland charged back in the second set led by Bray with 12 out of her 19 kills and a .524 hitting percentage in the set as the team recorded 18 kills and only four hitting errors. Kirk added 11 digs in the set for the 25-22 victory to even the match at 1-1.
In the third set, both teams went back and forth until NDSU won four straight points to take a 10-6 lead. The Bison held onto the lead for the rest of the set despite Oakland closing the lead to as close as two points twice in the set as North Dakota State won 25-22.
In the fourth set, both teams fought early as the match was tied at 10-10 after a block by Brittany Holbrook and Humm. North Dakota State took control as they won 15 out of the next 23 points for the 25-18 win ending Oakland’s season.
Oakland won six consecutive matches to earn the school’s first berth into The Summit League Championship Tournament. Bray set the single-season kill record with 389 kills and the attempts record with 1,162. Kirk became only the second Golden Grizzlies player in the Division I era to record more than 600 digs in a season as she finished with 603.
Jenna Lange and Allison Bell finish their careers as the winningest seniors in the school’s Division I history, leaving with 60 victories. Lange also finished the season as the all-time sets played leader, playing in 412 during her four-year career.
Category: Campus Clips, Colleges / Other, Oakland University
