MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – The University of Toledo women's volleyball team won at Central Michigan on Saturday, defeating the Chippewas in four sets.
The Rockets (19-10, 10-7 MAC) lost the first set, but came back to win the next three to avenge Friday's defeat against CMU (12-17, 6-11 MAC).
Toledo's 19 victories are now tied with the 2013 team for second-most ever in school history. The school record for most wins in a season in 27 by the 1983 Toledo women's volleyball squad, which went 27-16 that year.
Sophomore Taylor Alt led the way with 19 kills and hit .311 on Saturday. Three different players had at least five blocks for the Rockets: sophomore Abby Erickson had a match-high five, while junior Rhyenne FIlisi and sophomore Rachel Pierce had four blocks apiece. Pierce also had 10 kills and 11 digs, her first double-double of the season. Sophomore Sina Uluave had a double-double as well, her ninth of the season, contributing 14 digs and 10 kills. Freshman Elaine Redman collected 44 assists and nine digs and senior Rhyen Neal added 13 digs.
Toledo hosts Ball State on Wednesday, Nov. 17 at 6:00 p.m. in the final game of the regular season. The Mid-American Conference Tournament will begin on Sunday, Nov. 21.
1st Set (25-23, Central Michigan)
The first set proved to be the anomaly on Saturday, with the Rockets hitting under .100 (attacking at a clip of .077) while CMU hit .268, its highest of the evening. The Chippewas looked to be in position to win comfortably, taking a 24-18 lead late in the first set. But Toledo rattled off the next five points to pull within one, 24-23. But Central Michigan's Sierra Gray registered a kill for the 25th point to give her team a 1-0 lead in the match.
2nd Set (25-23, Toledo)
Toledo grabbed an early lead in the second set and did not look back, though the Chippewas did make things interesting late. The Rockets led 16-10 at one point, but CMU scored six of the next seven to pull within one, 17-16, and put some pressure on the Midnight Blue and Gold. Central Michigan would eventually fight to tie the score at 20-20, but that's the closest it would get. Erickson ended the set with a kill to tie the match at 1-1.
3rd Set (25-19, Toledo)
Both teams were neck-and-neck early in the third set, but a 5-0 Toledo run pushed the score to 13-9 in its favor. UT would not trail for the rest of the third frame, and would go on to hit .356, its highest single-set attack percentage of the match. Toledo would go on to win 25-19 to take a 2-1 lead in the match. Five of Alt's kills came in the third set, and Filisi contributed two blocks to help the cause.
4th Set (25-13, Toledo)
The last set of the weekend was also the most lopsided one. Toledo took an early 6-1 lead, but CMU scored six of the next seven points to knot it up at 7-7. The Rockets then put the pedal to the metal, scoring 13 of the next 17 to take a commanding 21-11 lead. The Chippewas could muster just two more points before back-to-back kills from Filisi were followed by a block and a kill from Uluave to put an exclamation point on Toledo's four-set win.
