TOLEDO, OH – Toledo opens Mid-American Conference play on Thursday, Sept. 24 at 7:00 p.m. when it hosts Ball State (6-8) in Savage Arena. Two days later, the Rockets will travel to Buffalo for a 7:30 p.m. match against the Bulls (1-11) on Saturday, Sept. 26.
     Sophomore MB Rachel Vidourek is leading UT with a .337 attack percentage and ranks first on the team with 2.69 kps and 0.90 bps. Vidourek notched seven blocks as well as 16 kills and a .400 hitting mark in a 3-2 victory over Robert Morris at the Blue/Gold Invitational. Later in the evening, Vidourek tallied 13 kills and five blocks in a 3-1 triumph over Radford. Vidourek's play earned her a spot on an all-tournament team for a third time this season.
     Sophomore OH Saige Thomas ranks second on the team with 2.50 kps, followed closely behind by junior RSH Mary O'Connor with 2.45 kps.
     Freshman libero Maurissa Leonard leads the back row defensive efforts with 4.10 dps and has served as the team's libero in the last eight matches. Leonard was also selected to the all-tournament squad at the Blue/Gold Invitational for her efforts on the weekend.
     Ball State dropped a 3-2 decision to South Dakota this past weekend at the Purdue Boiler Box Challenge after winning two of the first three sets. The Cardinals also lost matches to Notre Dame (3-0) and tournament host Purdue (3-0).
     Senior S Jenna Spadafora is the only Cardinal to appear in the MAC's individual statistics, ranking third in the MAC with 10.02 assists per set.
     Buffalo ended their non-conference play last Sunday with two defeats to New Hampshire (3-0) and Syracuse (3-0). Senior OH Megan Lipski, who ranks 10th in the MAC with 2.76 kps, recorded a double-double with a team-high 15 kills and 13 digs. Sophomore MB Cassie Shado is fourth in the conference with 1.21 bps and ninth with a .292 ATK%.
 
VIDOUREK REMAINS VITAL TO ATTACK
     Sophomore Rachel Vidourek has paced UT in kills on six occasions this season, including 16 kills, a .400 ATK% (16-4-30) and a match-high seven rejections against Robert Morris (Sept. 18).
      Vidourek also tallied 13 kills and five blocks against Radford (Sept. 18). She was named to the all-tournament team for the third time this season.
     The Oxford, OH native has registered a team-best .337 ATK% with 2.69 kps and 0.90 bps this season.
 
ROOKIE LEONARD STEPS UP AS LEADER
     Freshman Maurissa Leonard made her eighth start at libero this past weekend at the Blue/Gold Invitational.
     Leonard notched 26 digs versus Robert Morris (Sept. 18) and 18 against Radford (Sept. 18).
     Leonard was named to the all-tournament team for her critical role on the court. She leads the team with 4.10 dps.
 
CAREER-TOPPING STATISTICS
     Several Rockets have produced career bests over the last week, including the following:
• Senior Alex Hines tallied a career-high 16 digs and four total blocks vs. Radford (Sept. 18).
• Freshman Haley Sendelbach notched a season-best 12 kills and 23 total attacks vs.  Robert Morris (Sept. 18).
• Freshman Carly Townsend posted a career high four blocks vs. Robert Morris (Sept. 18).
 
ROCKETS IN MAC RANKINGS (as of 9/21)
     Rachel Vidourek ranks fourth in the MAC with a .337 ATK%...Alex Hines is second with 10.07 aps...Maurissa Leonard is seventh with 4.10 dps... Lauren Bakaitis is seventh with 0.32 saps... UT ranks third in the MAC with 12.60 kps, fourth with 15.52 dps and fifth with 11.83 aps as a team.
 
ROCKETS VS. THE FIELD
• Toledo leads the series against Buffalo 19-2. Last season, UT suffered just its second loss ever to the Bulls by a 3-2 (25-23, 25-27, 25-22, 21-25, 15-12) margin at home.
• Ball State leads the Rockets in its all-series 59-7. Last year, the Cardinals swept the season series, winning 3-1 in Muncie and 3-0 in Savage Arena.
 
A LOOK AHEAD
     Toledo returns home from Saturday's match at Buffalo for a pair of home contests vs. Western Michigan on Friday, Oct. 2 and Northern Illinois on Saturday, Oct. 3. UT's match vs. the Broncos will begin at 7:00 p.m. with the matchup vs. the Huskies starting at 5:00 p.m.