Toledo, Ohio— The University of Toledo women's volleyball team will travel to Oakland University on Saturday for an exhibition match to kick off its 2018 campaign.

The Rockets and Golden Grizzlies are scheduled to face off at 4:00 p.m. at the Athletics Center O'Rena.

Toledo welcomes five freshmen to a program that returns 10 letterwinners from a team that went 12-16 (7-9 MAC) a year ago. This season will also be the first for head coach Jason Oliver, who was hired in January. Oliver is joined on his coaching staff by Bethany Lokken, returning for her third season, and first-year assistant coach Evan Antal.

Returning for 2018 are seniors Maurissa Leonard and Carly Townsend. Leonard earned four MAC West Defensive Player of the Week awards last season, a year in which she averaged 5.58 digs per set, fourth in the MAC. She enters the season just 97 digs away from breaking Toledo's career mark of 1,736, currently held by Lora Sarich (2003-06). Townsend missed some time due to injury, but when she played she led the team with 9.73 assists per set.

The Rockets open their regular season with a tournament at Notre Dame on August 24-25. UT will face Northern Kentucky that Friday before battling the Fighting Irish and Weber State on Saturday.

Scouting Oakland
The Golden Grizzlies went 17-12 in 2017 with a 12-4 mark in Horizon League play. They return 12 letterwinners, including Jordan Lentz (10.52 assists/set) and Krysteena Davis (1.42 blocks/set, 1.61 kills/set). Oakland won six of its final seven regular season matches last season. Toledo hosted an exhibition match in 2017 against OU that ended in a 2-2 tie.