DAYTON — The Wright State volleyball team opens Horizon League play on the road with a pair of contests this weekend, as the Raiders travel to take on Cleveland State Friday night before a Saturday afternoon matchup against Oakland. Both matches are expected to be streamed on ESPN+.
MATCH INFORMATION
Friday, September 23- at Cleveland State - 6 p.m. -
Watch - Live Stats
Saturday, September 24- at Oakland - 4 p.m. -
Watch - Live Stats
LAST TIME OUT
Wright State went 3-0 with a pair of wins over Dayton and a victory against Wichita State as the Raiders hosted the Tru by Hilton Dayton Beavercreek Invitational. The Raiders tallied 21 service aces as a group over the 14 sets, while defensively they averaged 16.6 digs per set and added 37 total blocks (7 block solo, 60 block assists).
ALL-TOURNAMENT
Taylor Bransfield,
Callie Martin and
Jenna Story were each named to the Tru by Hilton Dayton Beavercreek Invitational all-tournament team, with Story earning tournament MVP honors. In 14 sets last weekend, Story paced the Raider backline, finishing with 71 total digs for a 5.07 digs per set average, while adding 12 assists and five service aces. Bransfield tallied 34 kills for a 2.43 kills per set average offensively as she stuffed 17 blocks at the net and added eight digs and four service aces. Martin collected double-digit digs in all three matches as she finished with 58 total for a 4.14 digs per set average while adding 24 kills, 10 blocks and a pair of service aces.
RECENT HISTORY WITH THE OPPONENTS
Wright State has won the last 13 combined meetings against Cleveland State and Oakland going into this weekend's action. The last Raider losses to the two came on back-to-back matches in 2018 - a four-set loss at Cleveland State on Sept. 29 and a five-set defeat at Oakland on Oct. 3.
KNOW THE FOES
- Cleveland State is off to a 4-8 record, with wins over Lehigh, Morgan State and Akron in non-conference action before beginning Horizon League play with a five-set win at Youngstown State this week. Cleveland State was 8-20 overall with a 6-11 mark in Horizon League play last season. The Raiders won both meetings last fall and have won six straight overall in the series while holding a 39-37 series lead all-time.
- Oakland is 5-8 this season, tallying early wins over Akron, Southern Indiana and Cornell before a victory over Evansville last weekend and a four-set win over Robert Morris this week to begin Horizon League action. Oakland finished 2021 with a 15-15 overall record and a 9-9 mark in Horizon League play. The Raiders won both meetings last fall and have won six in a row in the series and lead the all-time series 16-12.
NATIONAL MARKS
Entering Horizon League play, Wright State is No. 85 the country with its 12.13 assists/set mark, aided by
Lainey Stephenson's 9.98 assists/set average, which is No. 59 nationally. In Stephenson's absence,
Katie Meyer passed out a career-high 52 assists on Sept. 3 against Indiana State. The solid setting has led the Raiders to the No. 70 mark nationally with 595 kills, aided by their 36.70 attacks/set ratio, No. 26 nationally. Defensively, Wright State is No. 9 nationally with a 17.06 digs/set average an No. 16 nationally with 802 total digs.
Jenna Story's 5.43 digs/set average is No. 8 nationally and her 255 total digs are No. 6 nationally.
HORIZON LEAGUE STORY
Jenna Story was named the Horizon League Player of the Week on Sept. 21 after leading the Raiders to a 3-0 tournament weekend and finishing with 71 total digs for a 5.07 digs per set average with a .974 overall receive percentage for the weekend. She added 12 assists and five service aces over the three wins.
CLIMBING TO THE TOP
Lainey Stephenson notched her 4,000th career assist on September 2 in the match against North Dakota and currently sits sixth all-time in Wright State program history with 4,316 assists in her career entering this weekend's action. Mandy Gels (1999-2002) is the program leader with 5,044 assists in her career. Next on the ladder for Stephenson is Kara Benningfield (1986-89), who is third with 4,332 assists.
