Press Release courtesy of Toledo Athletics
The Toledo volleyball team will hit the road for two matches against in-state conference foes Ohio and Kent State this weekend.
Friday, Oct. 13 (7:00 p.m.): Toledo at Ohio | Live Stats | Live Stream
Saturday, Oct. 14 (7:00 p.m.) Toledo at Kent State | Live Stats | Live Stream
Last Time Out
Toledo wrapped up its four-game homestand last weekend with matches against Northern Illinois and Western Michigan.
The Rockets went 1-1 last week, falling to NIU 3-1 before coming back and beating WMU 3-1 the following day. UT was led by MAC West Defensive Player of the Week Annie Beasley, who hit .380 and averaged 3.00 kills and 2.12 blocks per set. Rachel Vidourek hit .370 last weekend and Maurissa Leonard averaged 5.75 digs per set for Toledo.
Beasley Named MAC West Defensive Player of the Week
The Indianapolis, Ind. native was terrific last weekend, averaging 3.00 kills per set and 2.12 blocks per set. Against Western Michigan, Beasley tallied 12 kills and a career-high 10 total blocks, the seventh time in program history a player had double-digit block assists in a single match. Against the Broncos, she registered three block assists each in sets one, three and four. On Friday night against Northern Illinois the senior recorded 12 kills and seven total blocks, including three solo blocks. She also hit a season-best .579 against the Huskies.
By the Numbers
Here are some notable numbers for Toledo:
- Beasley’s 10 block performance was the sixth by a MAC player this season.
- Leonard is steadily climbing the career digs list at UT. Coming into this weekend she sits third with 1,449.
- Saige Thomas is averaging 2.85 kills per set to lead the Rockets, and she is rapidly approaching career kill number 1,000 (963).
- Toledo is averaging 2.16 blocks per set in 2017, which is second in the MAC and would tie for the fourth-highest single-season total in school history.
- Vidourek (.339) and Beasley (.333) are second and fifth in the conference, respectively, in hitting percentage. In MAC play, Vidourek’s .394 hitting percentage is tops in the conference.
Scouting the Competition
Ohio: The Bobcats are 9-11 and 3-3 in MAC play, having defeated Akron, Miami, and Eastern Michigan. Ohio lost its final six non-conference matches leading into league play. The team is hitting .162 this season and averaging 12.25 kills per set on the offensive end and 15.11 digs per set defensively. Ohio’s hitting percentage is in the bottom-three in the MAC.
Freshman Tia Jimerson ranks fourth in the conference in hitting (.335), the highest rookie on the list. She also averages 3.27 kills per set, seventh in the MAC and two spots behind teammate Lizzie Stephens (3.52). Stephens has also been a weapon while serving, where she is averaging a league-high 0.47 service aces per set. Her 37 total aces also leads the MAC and that total puts her eighth in the country. Vera Giacomazzi is the Bobcats’ leader in assists (10.13/set) and there are four players averaging at least 2.3 digs/set: Giocomazzi (2.35), Meredith Howe (2.38), Stephens (2.62), and Macy Reihing (3.69).
Kent State: The Golden Flashes are 4-13 on the year with a 2-4 mark in conference play. The two MAC wins came last weekend against Ohio at home and Central Michigan up in Mount Pleasant. The other two victories came in non-conference play against Fort Wayne and Omaha. Kent State ranks last in the conference in hitting (.144) and blocks (1.32), but sits second in digs (17.56).
Offensively the Golden Flashes are led by Kelsey Bittinger, whose 3.80 kills per set are second-best in the conference. Bittinger and teammate Challen Geraghty were the first two MAC East Players of the Week this season; Bittinger averaged 5.11 kills per set and hit .349, while Geraghty tallied 7.11 digs per set. The latter has recorded 2,218 digs in her career and is the Kent State record holder in that category as well as the NCAA active career leader.
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