BLACKSBURG, Va. - The University of Toledo women's volleyball team opened up its 2021 season by splitting a pair of contests at the Virginia Tech Invitational in Blacksburg, Va on Friday. The Rockets defeated Elon, 3-0, before falling to the host school by the same margin.

Sophomore Taylor Alt racked up 25 kills in the two matches, 13 vs. Elon and 12 against the Hokies. 

Game 1 - Toledo 3, Elon 0 (26-24, 25-18, 25-16)

The Rockets edged the Phoenix in a closely fought first set, 26-24, then had little trouble in the second and third sets. Toledo hit an impressive .407 in the third set while holding Elon to just .094. Alt led the way with 13 kills and three services aces, while junior Olivia Vance chipped in with eight kills and five aces. 

Head Coach Jason Oliver:
"We started of a little slow but we were able to find our style and really stress Elon in the serving game. I am proud of the way we responded and the character we showed. It was a  great start to a new and exciting season."

Game 2 - Virginia Tech 3, Toledo 0 (25-22, 25-19, 25-22)

Toledo kept it close in all three sets but could not break through against Virginia Tech. The Rockets tied it up at 17-17 in the second set before the Hokies closed with an 8-2 run. In the third set, an Alt kills tied it up at 19-19 but VTU pulled away down the stretch. Alt and junior Ryenne Filisi each had 12 kills to led Toledo.

Head Coach Jason Oliver:
"It was a great experience for us. This was the first time we have been able to play in front of a crowd and in an electric environment in two years. It was so refreshing for us to have this back. I thought the energy we played with was great; we just fought a better technical team. They were very good tonight and I think they were spurred on by their crowd. We will learn and find ways to get more quality out of our talented team."

Up Next

The Rockets wrap up the tournament with a match vs. Lehigh on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.