Minneapolis, MN – Toledo volleyball dropped 3-0 decisions to No. 3 Minnesota (7-1) and North Dakota (8-7) on the final day of the Diet Coke Classic. The Rockets drop to 7-5 on the season.
 
Sophomore OH Gracey Tuifua paced the Rockets with 20 terminations, while junior OH Saige Thomas trailed with 17 kills and freshman MB Zoe Birnbrich added 14. Birnbrich also recorded a team-high nine rejections.
 
Sophomore S Carly Townsend recorded 61 assists and sophomore libero Maurissa Leonard led the backcourt with 31 digs.
 
Birnbrich and Leonard were named to the all-tournament team for their efforts over the weekend. 

MATCH 1
"We lost a tough match against a great opponent," said head coach Greg Smith. "We weren't consistent enough this morning and they were able to expose some areas of our game that we need to work on. Our mental game broke down in the third set but we can walk away from that match learning a lot."

The Rockets' attack could not compete with the Minnesota's efficiency throughout the match, as the Gophers recorded an impressive .347 attack percentage as a team. The 2015 Big Ten Conference Champions out-blocked UT, 17-5, and the Gophers recorded 47 kills, while holding Toledo to 27.

MATCH 2
"We lost a tough match vs. UND," said Smith. "We came out a little flat and North Dakota took advantage of that. Overall I think that the team played well and we tied for second in the tournament."

UT's match vs. the Fighting Hawks was highly contested throughout the match. The Rockets forced 21 total tie scores throughout the three sets but were unable to hold on to their leads. 
 
The Midnight Blue &Gold begin Mid-American Conference play next weekend when they host Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan in Savage Arena.