TOLEDO, Ohio – The Toledo women's volleyball team fell just short of a victory over its arch-rivals, falling to Bowling Green, 3-2, in the Battle of I-75 before a record crowd of 1,428 fans in Savage Arena on Tuesday.

The Rockets won the first two sets and were within striking distance of finishing off the Falcons in the fourth set. However, BGSU took the set, 26-24, and then won the fifth set 15-10 to complete the comeback.

Taylor Alt and Izzy Granger each tallied double-figure kills for Toledo (9-6, 2-1 MAC). Alt registered a team-high 19 kills, her 12th match of the season in double figures in kills, to go along with seven digs and three blocks. Granger added 12 kills and four digs.

Sophomore setter Macy Hatkevich tallied 42 assists, tying her season high, while adding a season-best four blocks and seven digs. Freshman libero Grace Freiberger tied her career-best in digs with 23. Redshirt freshman Kayla Ozanich added eight kills and three service aces while Sierra Pertzborn and Caylee Sharkey had seven and four terminations, respectively. Sophomore Avery Adamski totaled two service aces, setting a career high.

Bowling Green (8-6, 3-0 MAC) was led by Mia Tyler with 17 kills.

HOW IT HAPPENED
SET ONE (25-22 Toledo)

• Two service aces from Kayla Ozanich and a kill from Taylor Alt put Toledo ahead, 3-0. A block from Sierra Pertzborn and Alt extended the Rockets' lead to five.
• The Falcons fired off four quick points to get within two, 9-7, but a 7-3 run from the Rockets, highlighted by kills from Macy Hatkevich and Ozanich put Toledo in front, 17-11.
• Bowling Green cut Toledo's lead to one, 19-18, with a service ace, but Taylor Alt put the Rockets at set points and Pertzborn collected a kill for the set win.

SET TWO (26-24 Toledo)

• Both teams traded points early in the set, but Toledo was able to get out to a three-point lead, 12-9, off a kill from Izzy Granger and an ace by Hatkevich.
• The Rockets extended their lead to five, 20-15, with a kill from Alt.
• Bowling Green fired off a 5-0 run to take a one-point advantage, 22-21. Toledo responded with kills from Caylee Sharkey and Granger to get ahead, 24-23.
• A solo block by Hatkevich put Toledo at set point and a Falcons error put Toledo ahead, 2-0.

SET THREE (25-18 Bowling Green)

• The Falcons took an early three-point lead, 7-4, with a service ace and a kill.
• Toledo took a one-point lead, 8-7, but Bowling Green used a 5-0 run to regain the lead, 14-9.
• A service ace from Avery Adamski got the Rockets within three, 14-11. The Falcons fired off their second 5-0 run of the set to take an eight-point lead, 19-11.
• Toledo shrunk Bowling Green's lead to five, but a kill from the Falcons moved the score to 2-1.

SET FOUR (26-24 Bowling Green)

• A 5-1 surge by the Falcons put the visitors in front, 11-6.
• A block from Pertzborn and Sharkey cut Bowling Green's lead to two, 13-11, but the Falcons fired off a 4-0 surge to extend the lead to six.
• Pertzborn and Hatkevich combined for a block and got the Rockets within three, 20-17. The Falcons tallied two kills to get to set point, 24-19.
• Four errors from Bowling Green and a service ace from Grace Freiberger tied the match, 24-24.
• The Falcons used a Toledo error and a kill to tie the match at 2-2.

SET FIVE (15-10 Bowling Green)

• Both sides traded early points, but the Falcons got out to a three-point lead off of four-straight kills, 6-3.
• Toledo tied the match, 8-8, thanks to a block from Olivia Heitkamp and Pertzborn, a Heitkamp kill and an ace from Ozanich.
• Izzy Granger fired off her 12th termination of the night, but Bowling Green secured the match win with a 6-0 run to end the set.

UP NEXT
The Rockets head to Ohio University this Friday and Saturday for their first conference action on the road. Friday's match is set to begin at 6:00 p.m. while Saturday's is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. Both matches will be streamed on ESPN+.

Follow the Rockets
Instagram: Toledo_VB
Twitter/X: Toledo_VB
Facebook: Toledo Volleyball