Toledo, Ohio— The University of Toledo women's volleyball team won both of its matches on Saturday, taking down Bucknell and Youngstown State in five sets. The Rockets will now carry a four-match winning streak heading into Mid-American Conference play next weekend.

Offensively, Zoe Birnbrich and Chloee Kleespies both had outstanding days. Birnbrich averaged 3.10 kills per set over the course of the two matches and hit .365, while Kleespies averaged 4.10 kills per set. Carly Townsend had a great day as the Rockets' setter, averaging 11.10 assists per set and 54 and 57 assists, respectively. Maurissa Leonard was excellent as usual, tallying 5.40 digs per set.

Toledo begins conference play next weekend with road matches at Northern Illinois and Western Michigan.

Toledo 3, Bucknell 2

Set 1 (25-22, BU)
The Bison led 10-5 to start the match and held a comfortable lead for much of the first set. Toledo was able to bring the score to within one, 21-20, but would not get any closer as Bucknell took a 1-0 lead in the match with a 25-22 first set victory.

Set 2 (25-22, BU)
The second set ended in the same score as the first, 25-22, and put Toledo in a 2-0 hole in the match. UT actually held a lead as late as 15-13, thanks to an offensive outburst by Kleespies. She tallied seven kills in this set. Unfortunately, it would not be enough as the Rockets dropped the set to BU. Bucknell hit .357 in this frame, highest of either team in the match.

Set 3 (26-24, UT)
Toledo began its comeback in the third set, during which it hit .300, the highest hitting percentage of the match for them. The set started off neck-and-neck, but the Rockets then exploded and scored 11 of 12 points to take a commanding 18-11 lead. Bucknell didn't stay down for long, though, and came back to tie the set at 21-21. Toledo had a set point, 24-23, but surrendered a point to ensure a lengthened third set. A kill from Kleespies and a Bison attack error clinched a 26-24 win for UT. Birnbrich was terrific in the third set, tallying seven kills on 10 attacked with no errors.

Set 4 (25-13, UT)
The Rockets put on a dominant showing in set four, hitting .235 compared to -.053 from Bucknell. UT opened up an 8-2 lead and only got stronger as the frame went on, eventually taking a staggering 23-8 lead over the Bison. Toledo would go on to win, 25-13, to send the match to a fifth set.

Set 5 (15-13, UT)
Despite the strong showing in the fourth set, UT fell behind 5-2 early in the fifth. But the Rockets were able to get points in bunches, scoring four straight at one point followed by a 3-0 run to go ahead, 10-8. Toledo would go on to score four of the final five points in the match to take a 15-13 win and cement the come-from-behind victory.

Toledo 3, Youngstown State 2

Set 1 (25-21, YSU)
Toledo carried some momentum over from its first match to start its second, taking an early 9-4 lead over the Penguins. Youngstown State was not down for long, though, and a 6-1 run flipped the script and put the Rockets in a 19-17 hole. UT would fight back to tie the set at 21-21, but four straight points from YSU killed off any chance of a Toledo rally and gave the Penguins a 1-0 lead in the match.

Set 2 (25-21, UT)
The score was the same, but the teams were reversed in the second set. It was Youngstown State who took an early lead this time, jumping ahead 7-4. Toledo trailed for much of the set, only coming as close as a tie a few times. The Rockets finally took the lead, 18-17, and did not look back, closing out the set on a 7-3 run to win, 25-21. Townsend tied the match with a set-clinching kill.

Set 3 (27-25, YSU)
Following the same script as the first match of the day, set number three needed extra time to be decided. Youngstown State went ahead, 7-5, but an eight-point run for the Rockets pushed them ahead by seven, 15-8. But the Penguins were able to chip away at the deficit by scoring in bunches to tie the set at 21-21. Toledo had two opportunities to win the frame- 24-23 and 25-24- but failed to do so. Three straight Youngstown State points gave it a 27-25 win and a 2-1 lead in the match.

Set 4 (25-23, UT)
The fourth set was another close one, continuing a theme of UT 's second match of the day. There were 13 tie scores, tied for the most in either match. Neither team led by more than two at any point until Birnbrich capped a mini 3-0 run to give Toledo a 22-19 lead. The Rockets were once again in position to clinch the set, leading 24-23, and this time sealed the deal with a kill off the hand of Kleespies.

Set 5 (20-18, UT)
Despite being shorter, the fifth set also featured a whopping 13 ties, setting the match up for a thrilling finish. Youngstown State led, 10-8, at one point, but three straight points from the Rockets gave them an 11-10 advantage. The Penguins answered right back with three straight scores of their own, but Toledo returned the favor with another 3-0 run, this one giving the Midnight Blue and Gold a 14-13 lead and a chance to win the match. It would be the first of six match points, the first five of which failed to end the contest. The last one, 19-18, came about after a service ace from Leonard, and the match ended on a YSU attack error, handing Toledo its second five-set victory of the day.