TOLEDO, Ohio – The University of Toledo women's volleyball program will host Kent State this weekend at Savage Arena for a pair of matches. The Rockets and Golden Flashes will battle it out on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. and Sunday at 12:30 p.m.

These will be the first matches for Toledo since Feb. 4-5 when it hosted Ball State. Last week's scheduled series at Miami was postponed due to positive COVID-19 tests within the Rockets' program, and this week's matches against Kent State were pushed back from their original dates of Feb. 18-19 to ensure the safety of both teams.

Last Time Out
Toledo hosted Ball State for a pair of five-set matches two weeks ago, going 1-1 against the Cardinals.

In the thrilling five-set win on Thursday, Feb. 4, the Rockets faced four match points in the fifth set and didn't flinch, battling back each time to stay alive before delivering the final three points of the night to take down the Cardinals. Freshman Taylor Alt was incredible, tallying 29 kills including the match-winner to carry her team to victory. Her 29 terminations are the second-most ever in a match in program history and the most since TaNeisha Winters had 29 against Central Michigan on Nov. 13, 2007.

Sophomore Ryann Jaqua recorded 37 digs, tied for fifth-most in a match in program history and the most since Maurissa Leonard had a school-record 40 in 2017. Freshman setter Payton Morman added 57 assists and 10 digs, her second match with at least 50 assists this year. Senior Rhyen Neal had 21 digs, eclipsing 1,000 for her career with her 17th dig of the match in the fourth set.

The two teams once again went five sets the next night, but Ball State came out on top this time. Alt led the way with 14 kills and six blocks, while senior Emma Swope and sophomore Liz Beasley added 11 and 10, respectively. Morman tallied 45 assists and 12 digs on Friday, and Jaqua led the Rockets with 27 digs. Neal recorded nine digs and a career-high eight service aces, which ties her for third-most in a match in program history.

Quick Hits

• Taylor Alt's 29 kills against Ball State are the most in a single match by a freshman in the country this season.
• Four of Toledo's six matches have gone five sets this year. No other team in the MAC has played more than three five-setters.
• The Rockets have started the year strong defensively. They lead the MAC in 2.62 blocks/set and they're third in the league in opponent hitting percentage (.172).
• Toledo is the only school with two players in the MAC's Top 10 in blocks: Olivia Vance (1.04 blocks/set) is tied for fifth and Rhyenne Filisi (0.94 blocks/set) is tenth.
• Ryann Jaqua is averaging 6.72 digs/set in her last four matches.

Scouting the Opponent
Kent State is 6-1 entering this weekend's series, having previously swept Central Michigan, Buffalo, and Akron. After winning their first six matches of the year, the Golden Flashes lost to Eastern Michigan on Monday in five sets. Kent State leads the MAC in team hitting (.259) and kills (14.42/set) while being led individually by Lana Strejcek (.450, first in the MAC) and Savannah Matthews (4.00 kills/set, fourth in the MAC).