Press Release courtesy of Toledo Athletics.
The Toledo women’s volleyball team hosts a pair of Mid-American Conference matches this weekend. The Rockets play Northern Illinois at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 6 and Western Michigan on Saturday, Oct. 7.
Friday, Oct. 6 (7:00 p.m.): Toledo vs. Northern Illinois | Live Stats | Live Stream
Saturday, Oct. 7 (5:00 p.m.) Toledo vs. Western Michigan | Live Stats | Live Stream
Fans attending the matches this weekend will be treated to some great promotions on Friday and Saturday:
- Oct. 6
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- Giveaways include Toledo volleyball posters, Aviator sunglasses, and a Top Gun-themed poster.
- Post-game autographs
- Oct. 7
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- In accordance with the “Aloha Rockets!” theme for homecoming this year, fans will have a chance to get Hawaiian shirts and leis at Saturday’s match, as well as Toledo volleyball posters.
- Free admission for UT volleyball alumni and tickets are just $2.00 if you present your ticket stub from the UT football game.
- Post-game autographs.
Last Time Out
Last weekend, the Rockets won both of their home matches to bring their MAC record to 2-2.
On Thursday, they defeated Ball State in a quick three-set sweep (25-23, 27-25, 25-16) and on Saturday they took down Akron in five sets (14-25, 25-21, 25-16, 21-25, 15-9). Saige Thomas led the way with 28 kills over the course of the two matches, including 15 in the win over the Cardinals. Chloee Kleespies and Rachel Vidourek tallied 19 and 17 kills last weekend, respectively. Carly Townsend returned to the lineup and led the Rockets with 76 assists over the two matches, while Maurissa Leonard‘s 40 digs were a team-high for the weekend. In the win over the Zips, Townsend registered her third double-double of the season (41 assists and 13 digs).
By the Numbers
Here are some notable numbers for Toledo:
- The Rockets are second in the conference in blocks per set (2.12).
- Three of the MAC’s top six individuals in hitting percentage wear the Midnight Blue and Gold: Chloee Kleespies (.335), Rachel Vidourek (.334), and Annie Beasley (.326) rank fourth, fifth, and sixth respectively.
- Maurissa Leonard‘s 1,403 career digs are fourth-most in Toledo history.
- The 11 total blocks the Rockets tallied against Ball State are second-most in a three-set match in the MAC this season.
Scouting the Competition
Northern Illinois: The Huskies are 2-17 this season with their two victories coming against Illinois State and Central Michigan. NIU opened its MAC schedule with a 3-1 loss to Western Michigan, then endured two straight five-set defeats to Bowling Green and Eastern Michigan before taking down the Chippewas last Saturday. The trip to Toledo is the first of four consecutive road matches for NIU.
Kaylee Martin is the team leader on offense, averaging 3.52 kills per set, while Anna Brereton leads the charge on defense with 4.16 digs per set. Megan Wolowicz averages 1.00 blocks/set, which is fifth in the league. In the big win over CMU last week, Martin and Wolowicz led the way with 17 and 15 kills, respectively.
Western Michigan: Entering this weekend, the Broncos are the lone unbeaten team in league play, having beaten Miami, NIU, CMU, and EMU to start their conference schedule. They’ll come into Savage Arena white hot, having won nine of their last 10 matches. WMU leads the MAC in hitting percentage (.230) and opponent hitting percentage (.154) as well as kills per set (13.80).
Three players for Western Michigan are averaging at least three kills per set: Quiana Ware (3.20), Rachel Bontrager (3.17), and Sydney LeMay (3.00). Mary Murphy has done a good job in setting up those kills; her 10.92 assists per set are the most in the conference. Kathleen Reilly has been the MAC West Defensive Player of the Week four weeks in a row, most recently tallying 46 digs last weekend to keep the Broncos unbeaten in conference play.
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