DeKALB, IL - Junior OH Cassie Kleespies tallied a team-high 12 kills and a .450 attack percentage but it wasn't enough as Toledo remained winless on the road this season with a 3-0 (25-15, 25-22, 25-19) loss at Northern Illinois.

Freshman outside hitters Lauren Rafdal and Becca Reidy each tallied seven terminations, and were the only other Rockets to register more than two kills.

The Rockets (5-8, 0-2 MAC) were limited to a .136 hitting mark in the contest, while the Huskies (15-2, 1-1 MAC) registered a .299 attack percentage.

NIU had a firm grasp of the match for nearly the entire evening, as there were only three lead changes during the contest. The first two came in the initial set. UT held a 6-4 lead but the Huskies scored nine straight points with freshman Laura Wicinski registering three aces in the run.

Northern Illinois led 21-17 in the second set, but the Rockets made a late rally. Two Kleespies' kills and a Reidy ace and kill brought the Rockets within 22-21. Another Kleespies kill put UT within a point again at 23-22 but that was as close as it would get.

In the final stanza, the Huskies charged out to a 5-1 lead with help from three Wicinski putaways. Toledo rallied back to knot the score at 12-12 on back-to-back Reidy aces. NIU quickly regrouped though with an 8-2 spurt and didn't look back. Wicinski once again sparked the run as she scored the first three points of the spurt with back-to-back kills and a block.

Toledo returns home next weekend looking to get back on the winning track. The Rockets will host Eastern Michigan on Friday, Oct. 1 at 7:00 p.m. followed by Central Michigan on Saturday, Oct. 2 at 3:00 p.m.