MT. PLEASANT, Mich. — The University of Toledo volleyball team faced Central Michigan on Saturday night, falling in five sets to the MAC's top team.

The Rockets won sets two and three to take a 2-1 lead over the first-place Chippewas, but dropped the final two sets of the night. The win was CMU's 11th in a row, but tonight was just the second time during that streak that a team was able to push them to five sets.

Senior Zoe Birnbrich had a match-high 17 kills and also tied a career high with nine total blocks. Sophomore Maddie Fogg tallied 22 assists and 15 digs, while sophomore Megan Beasley added 23 assists. Junior Rhyen Neal led the team with 20 digs and freshman Ryann Jaqua was close behind with 16 digs.

Toledo visits MAC foes Kent State and Ohio next weekend.

Set 1 (CMU, 25-15)
Central Michigan used a 9-0 run to take an early 12-5 lead in the first set. The CMU lead grew to 20-9, but a 5-0 Toledo run put them within six, 20-14. Birnbrich and junior Emma Swope each tallied two points during the mini run to partially close the deficit. The Central Michigan lead was too much to overcome, though, and the Rockets would go on to drop the first set.

Set 2 (Toledo, 25-23)
CMU started the second set leading 4-1 before the Rockets fought back and jumped out in front, 8-7, after a kill from junior Chloee Kleespies. The Rockets' lead grew to 14-10 off the strength of Birnbrich's play; to that point she had tallied four kills and two blocks. With the score tied at 18-18, Toledo put together a 5-0 run to pull ahead, 23-18. The Chippewas nearly came all the way back, getting as close 24-23, but a clutch kill from Birnbrich clinched the second set for Toledo.

Set 3 (Toledo, 25-23)
Toledo started hot this time, jumping out to a 9-4 lead in the third set. The Chippewas scored six of the next seven points to tie the score at 10-10, but the Rockets surged forward to a 16-12 lead thanks to a few strong plays from Swope. Toledo once again had to fight off a late CMU rally; leading 23-19, the Chippewas again made it 24-23 before a kill from Birnbrich gave the Rockets their 25th point and a 2-1 lead in the match.

Set 4 (CMU, 25-21)
The fourth set was a back-and-forth affair that eventually ended in favor of the Chippewas, 25-21. The Rockets fought to tie the score at 11-11, then 13-13, and 16-16. But Central Michigan never let Toledo take the lead, and once it jumped out in front 17-16, CMU never relinquished the lead.

Set 5 (CMU, 15-13)
CMU took the lead to start the fifth set and was out in front until the latter stages of the set. The Rockets stormed back, with a kill from Birnbrich putting Toledo within one and Swope tying the score at 11-11. Central Michigan scored three in a row to bring about match point, but the Rockets did not go down quietly. They scored twice to make it 14-13, but the Chippewas closed out the match with one final kill.