TOLEDO, OH – The Toledo volleyball team will open its 2016 campaign this weekend when it competes in the Holiday Inn Invitational hosted by Wright State. UT will first battle Dayton on Friday, Aug. 26 at 4:00 p.m. before returning to McLin Gymnasium on Saturday, Aug.27 for a doubleheader. The Rockets will face host WSU at 1:00 p.m. and SIU Edwardsville at 4:30 p.m.
 
    All matches will be streamed live on ESPN3. Links to the live video and live stats can be found on the schedule.
 
    "We are excited to start our 2016 season at Wright State. against three strong teams," said head coach Greg Smith. "This will be a good weekend to see where we're at and what we need to work on to become a better team."
 
Holiday Inn Invitational Schedule
All matches will be played at C.J. McLin Gymnasium in Fairborn, OH
Friday, Aug. 26
Toledo vs. Dayton, 4:00 p.m.
SIU Edwardsville at Wright State, 7:00 p.m.
 
Saturday, Aug. 27
Dayton vs. SIU Edwardsville, 11:00 a.m.
Toledo at Wright State, 1:00 p.m.
Toledo vs. SIU Edwardsville, 4:30 p.m.
Dayton at Wright State, 6:30 p.m.
      The Rockets are returning all six starters from last year's squad with junior MH Rachel Vidourek leading the way. Vidourek paced UT in 2015 with a team-best .315 attack percentage (fifth in MAC) and 0.83 blocks per set and ranked second with 2.39 kills per set. Other returning starters are junior MH/OH Annie Beasley, junior RS Mary O'Connor, junior OH Saige Thomas, sophomore S/RS Carly Townsend and sophomore OH/MH Gracey Tuifua. Sophomore libero Maurissa Leonard also is back after topping the Rockets with 4.49 digs per set, a total that ranked fifth in the MAC.
      The Raiders posted their most wins in a season since 2008 with a 15-16 record and return five starters for the 2016 season. Last season, junior outside hitter Katie Klusman recorded a team-high 430 kills and 274 digs, which was second on the team. Junior middle blocker Megan Hopkins recorded 377 kills and senior right side Haley Garr had 188, ranking them second and fourth on the team, respectively.  Junior libero Jessie Thornton finished second in the Horizon League in digs with 564, and led the team in digs/set (4.99). Junior setter Maddie Lohmeier ranked fourth in assists in the Horizon League with 1,216 and was third on the team in digs with 268.
      UD is coming off a 27-6 season in 2015, leading to its second-consecutive trip to the NCAA Second Round and its 11th overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Flyers claimed the Atlantic 10 Regular Season title with a perfect 14-0 mark in league action while also picking up the program's 10th A-10 Tournament title as well. The Flyers return the 2015 A-10 Setter of the Year in junior Jane Emmenecker and are led by three-time A-10 Coach of the Year Tim Horsmon. Also returning is junior Amber Erhahon, last season's team leader in hitting percentage (.403 - 1st A-10) and blocks (1.17 - 2nd A-10) and a 2015 AVCA Midwest Region Honorable Mention Team member.
      SIUE finished last season with an 8-18 overall record and returns 10 veterans to its 2016 squad. Junior Ashley Witt has recorded 602 kills in her first two seasons as a Cougar. She set the SIUE freshman record with 309 kills in 2014. Katie Shashack returns for her junior season after spending the first two as the team's libero. She led the Cougars last season with 365 digs (3.44 per set).
 

• The Rockets have only defeated the Raiders in one of their 13 matchups. UT downed Wright State, 3-0 in 2011.
• Toledo holds a 6-5 lead over the Flyers in the all-time series but is coming off a 3-1 loss to UD in 2014.
• UT has faced SIU Edwardsville one time and lost to the Cougars 3-2 in 2009.

      The Rockets will remain on the road next weekend when they compete in Houston Baptist's Labor Day Classic on Friday-Saturday, Sept. 2-3. UT will face Penn on Friday at 1:30 p.m. CT before returning the next day to play North Florida at 2:00 p.m. CT and host HBU at 7:00 p.m. CT. All matches will be played at the Huskies' Sharp Gym in Houston, TX.