The Oakland University Golden Grizzlies Volleyball team lost to the Wright State University Raiders 3-1 in sets on Friday, Nov. 12 at the O’Rena for their fourth straight loss.

Oakland, who lost three on the road to Horizon League opponents, looked to rebound at home against Wright State, who won four straight and were 7-2 on the road.

Oakland began the first set down 10-4, but rallied back from being down by as many as nine to tie the score at 23 going into set point play. From there, Oakland and Wright State traded points back and forth before Oakland scored three unanswered points to win the first set 28-26, which would be their only winning set of the night.

In the second set, Wright State once again jumped to an early lead, going up by 10. Oakland battled back and cut the lead down to seven before ultimately falling 25-15 to the Raiders.

In the third set, Oakland jumped out to a 5-0 advantage, leading by as much as six, before Wright State slowly battled back in, before scoring four straight to tie the set at 15. From here, neither team could shake the other as both Oakland and Wright State stayed within striking distance before Wright State went up by two, ending the third set 25-23. Wright State led  2-1.

In the fourth set, Wright State came out swinging, building an early 10-2 lead over Oakland. Oakland showed signs of life, but ultimately struggled as Wright State went on a 10-6 run, going up 20-8 in score. Oakland showed their resilience and toughness throughout the round, but ultimately fell to Wright State 25-10, losing the match 3-1.

Oakland deserves a lot of credit in this game, as redshirt freshmen Kennedy Dolmage and Patti Cesarini led the Golden Grizzlies with a double double (18 assists and 13 digs) and 17 kills, respectively. Oakland, despite the loss, was active on the defensive end, with eight blocks and 77 digs as a team. Following a rough patch on the season, with the bandages and crutches on the sidelines, Oakland continues to grit through the final stretch of the season.

After winning three straight, Oakland has struggled recently, falling for four consecutive matches, but there is optimism among the team after winning their first set in four meetings against a team of Wright State’s caliber. After Friday night’s game, Oakland drops to 15-13 on the season.

Oakland returned to the O’Rena on Nov. 13 to close out the season against another tough opponent in the Northern Kentucky University Norse, who are 19-7 for the season. With the Horizon League playoffs in view for Oakland, look for the Grizzlies to poke the bear.