The seniors of the Oakland University Golden Grizzlies’ volleyball team got honored under happy circumstances after their 3-2 victory over the Cleveland State Vikings Friday night. 

Starting off very aggressively, the Vikings would score five straight points using their versatile blend of offense and defense to get the Golden Grizzlies off-center. The run would be ended by a service error from the Vikings, which would open up the door for the Golden Grizzlies to storm back into the set and start the trading of runs between these two teams. 

The Grizzlies would fight back, winning a long rally and playing consistent volleyball to bring the score up to 7-5. The Vikings would tighten their defense up in order to keep them at bay and protect the lead. 

After rebuilding their broken momentum, the Golden Grizzlies would take the lead away from the Vikings after the continuous trading of strings of blocks and kills from both sides. Separating themselves with a run of great play and stretching their lead to six at it’s peak, the Golden Grizzlies would claim this set with a score of 25-18. 

Moving on to the second set, the Grizzlies would strike first after a great extended rally ends in an attack error. This set, however, would turn out to be all Vikings as they would string together six  straight points during a run that would see the score stop at 16-12. Using their lethal serves, the Vikings would dominate this set and capture the win with a score of 25-16. 

The third set would swing the pendulum back in the Golden Grizzlies favor, despite their abysmal 4-1 start. They would then score six  straight points as the two teams traded dominant sets for dominant sets. The Golden Grizzlies’ lead would reach 12 points at its peak, as they would lock the Vikings out of the set early and close out the ever-pivotal third set with a score of 25-16.

The Golden Grizzlies, looking to close out the fourth set and take home a 3-1 win, would come into the set aggressively but struggle to connect on kills. The Vikings would take advantage of these missteps and gain control for the entire set, leading by five  with a score of 12-7 at one point. The Vikings would put their foot down and force a race to 15, after stuffing a potential Golden Grizzly comeback in their face with a block that would seal the set with a score of 25-16. 

After the third straight set ending in a score of 25-16, the “Race to 15” would put an end to this war of a match as the Golden Grizzlies would leave their hearts out on the court for the second consecutive home game that went to five sets. The game thus far has been as even as one could get, with both teams looking identical in the stat sheet and the scoreboard. 

The Golden Grizzlies would fall victim to the same amazing defense that was showcased all throughout the game at the end of a terrific rally, and this would lead the Vikings on a 4-0 run to start. The same defense, however, that proved to be the base of each team’s amazing performance thus far, would lead to the Viking downfall. 

The Golden Grizzlies would battle their way back into the set, refusing to give up as they would tie the set at seven after starting off scoreless. The Grizzlies then build an impenetrable wall in front of the net, stopping any and every advance made by the Vikings.

The Vikings would crumble under the pressure of it all and concede the set to the Golden Grizzlies, who would storm ahead and win a pivotal rally to set up match point and stomp out any chance of a Viking comeback with an amazing spike to win the set 15-10 and the match 3-2.  

After giving their seniors a victory and a well-deserved bow, the Golden Grizzlies will return to the court on Nov. 4 to face off against Green Bay in Wisconsin at 7 p.m.