Sunday, November 23
Bowling Green, Ohio
4:00 p.m.
University of Toledo
23-10,11-7MAC
3
vs
1
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No. 2 Western Michigan
17-16,13-5MAC
1
2
3
4
F
Toledo
22
25
25
28
3
Western Mich.
25
16
21
26
1
Team Stats
UT
WMU
Kills
57
51
Errors
23
19
Attempts
202
199
Hitting %
.168
.161
Points
74.0
62.0
Assists
56
50
Aces
8
2
Blocks
9
9
Game Leaders
Kills
21
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
16
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
8
Aces
1
Blocks
4
Players Mentioned
MB
/ Women's VolleyballOpp
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
/ Women's VolleyballOH/RSH
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
/ Women's VolleyballMB
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
Toledo clinched its first-ever MAC Championship with a 3-1 win over Western Michigan on Sunday.
Photo by: Jacob Peters
Toledo Captures First-Ever MAC Championship with 3-1 Victory over Western Michigan
11/23/2025 9:05:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Freshman Jessica Costlow records 21 kills, named MVP of the tournament
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Facing a nine-point deficit in the fourth set, the Toledo women's volleyball team fought back to win the set and capture a 3-1 victory (22-25, 25-16, 25-21, 28-26) over Western Michigan to earn its first-ever Mid-American Conference Championship at the Stroh Center in Bowling Green, Ohio on Sunday.
The championship comes in the 45th season of Toledo sponsoring women's volleyball as a varsity sport and in Brian Wright's first season as the Rockets' head coach.
Freshman Jessica Costlow led the Rockets' offense, tallying 21 kills and 22 digs for her eighth double-double of the season and was named Most Valuable Player of the tournament.
Sophomore Olivia Heitkamp poured in 16 terminations, while sophomore libero Grace Freiberger tied her season-high with 29 digs to go along with a team-best three service aces. Freiberger becomes Toledo's all-time single season digs leader with 621 during the 2025 campaign. Senior setter Kelsey Smith orchestrated the offense, totaling 38 assists and 20 digs for her 17th double-double of the season.
Freiberger and Smith joined Costlow on the all-tournament team.
Toledo (22-10) will find out its destination in the NCAA Tournament next Sunday, Nov. 30.
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Quoting the Rockets
Head Coach Brian Wright
(opening comments)
"The whole team has been a team worth supporting. Our fans came out – we almost doubled attendance this year – because of who they are as people, not because we had these wins or we had this history yet. I always felt we were the team of the present, the team of the future. I knew what we had in the gym. I knew what we could do. But to watch a group do it in the resilient way we just did three straight nights…We were probably losing more than we were winning all three matches. But when our backs were against the wall, our play went up. The only way that can happen is if you work consistently and you work hard and you stay aggressive, but also if you love each other. And this group does all those things…The fact that we were down nine or whatever we were in the fourth set just doesn't surprise me anymore. It's just what this group does."
Senior Setter Kelsey Smith
(on thoughts during the final points of the fourth set)
"Honestly, it didn't feel real at all. In the last couple of points I was looking up at the crowd and a feeling of gratitude came over me. I'm just so grateful to be part of such a great program. We all love each other so much. I just felt so grateful to be there in that moment. I'm just so happy with how it ended and how hard we fought. Emotions, I try to keep them cool during the game. I think I did a good job at that. But inside I was just so grateful. I'm just so happy to be here with this team."
Freshman Jessica Costlow
(on her emotions at the end of the match)
"It was just an unreal feeling. Being in the moment that we had worked for all year and everything we were working towards. All the small things. It was just unreal and awesome to be in that moment."
Â
Key Moments
Reeghan Boyer, Western Michigan
Jessica Costlow, Toledo
Grace Freiberger, Toledo
Lauryn Hovey, Bowling Green
Lead Richmond, Western Michigan
Kelsey Smith, Toledo
Camryn Wise, Ball State
MAC Tournament MVP
Jessica Costlow, Toledo
Â
Up Next
Toledo will wait to see its draw for the NCAA Women's Volleyball Tournament. The selection show will be on Sunday, Nov. 30 at 6:00 p.m. on ESPN.
Follow the Rockets
Instagram: Toledo_VB
Twitter/X: Toledo_VB
Facebook: Toledo Volleyball
Â
The championship comes in the 45th season of Toledo sponsoring women's volleyball as a varsity sport and in Brian Wright's first season as the Rockets' head coach.
Freshman Jessica Costlow led the Rockets' offense, tallying 21 kills and 22 digs for her eighth double-double of the season and was named Most Valuable Player of the tournament.
Sophomore Olivia Heitkamp poured in 16 terminations, while sophomore libero Grace Freiberger tied her season-high with 29 digs to go along with a team-best three service aces. Freiberger becomes Toledo's all-time single season digs leader with 621 during the 2025 campaign. Senior setter Kelsey Smith orchestrated the offense, totaling 38 assists and 20 digs for her 17th double-double of the season.
Freiberger and Smith joined Costlow on the all-tournament team.
Toledo (22-10) will find out its destination in the NCAA Tournament next Sunday, Nov. 30.
Â
Quoting the Rockets
Head Coach Brian Wright
(opening comments)
"The whole team has been a team worth supporting. Our fans came out – we almost doubled attendance this year – because of who they are as people, not because we had these wins or we had this history yet. I always felt we were the team of the present, the team of the future. I knew what we had in the gym. I knew what we could do. But to watch a group do it in the resilient way we just did three straight nights…We were probably losing more than we were winning all three matches. But when our backs were against the wall, our play went up. The only way that can happen is if you work consistently and you work hard and you stay aggressive, but also if you love each other. And this group does all those things…The fact that we were down nine or whatever we were in the fourth set just doesn't surprise me anymore. It's just what this group does."
Senior Setter Kelsey Smith
(on thoughts during the final points of the fourth set)
"Honestly, it didn't feel real at all. In the last couple of points I was looking up at the crowd and a feeling of gratitude came over me. I'm just so grateful to be part of such a great program. We all love each other so much. I just felt so grateful to be there in that moment. I'm just so happy with how it ended and how hard we fought. Emotions, I try to keep them cool during the game. I think I did a good job at that. But inside I was just so grateful. I'm just so happy to be here with this team."
Freshman Jessica Costlow
(on her emotions at the end of the match)
"It was just an unreal feeling. Being in the moment that we had worked for all year and everything we were working towards. All the small things. It was just unreal and awesome to be in that moment."
Â
Key Moments
- Western Michigan fired off five-straight points to take an early 9-3 lead in the first set. A Broncos block kept them in front, 16-8, before a kill from Olivia Heitkamp kept the Rockets within eight, 23-15. A 5-0 run, highlighted by back-to-back kills from Jessica Costlow brought the Rockets within two, 24-22, but WMU took the set win with a block.
- A 7-1 run behind kills from Costlow and Sophie Catalano put Toledo in front early in the second frame, 7-3. A block from Sierra Pertzborn and Olivia Heitkamp helped Toledo stay in front, 11-5, and two consecutive service aces from Macy Medors kept Toledo ahead by nine, 18-9. A 3-0 WMU run put the Broncos within five, 19-14, before a block from Heitkamp and Pertzborn gave UT set point, 24-16. A kill from Kelsey Smith secured the set victory.
- The Broncos and Rockets traded points to start off the third set. Grace Freiberger fired off two-straight service aces to even the set, 7-7. A kill from Heitkamp and WMU error gave Toledo the slight edge, 15-13, before a 4-0 run by the Broncos tied the set, 18-18. UT fired off a 4-0 surge of their own to regain the lead, 22-18, and a kill from Heitkamp put Toledo at set point, 24-19. Heitkamp's 11th termination of the evening gave UT the set win.
- Western Michigan took a 9-3 lead to kick off the fourth set. A service ace from Smith and kill from Heitkamp got UT within five, 15-10, and a 5-0 surge put the Rockets within one, 17-16. A pair of kills kept WMU in front, 21-19, and a termination from Costlow evened the set, 22-22. A block from Anna Alford and Costlow gave UT match point, 24-22, before the Broncos tied the match again, 24-24. With WMU facing their own set point, 25-24, Costlow fired off two ills to put Toledo back at match point, 27-26. A Broncos' error gave UT the match victory and first-ever championship.
Reeghan Boyer, Western Michigan
Jessica Costlow, Toledo
Grace Freiberger, Toledo
Lauryn Hovey, Bowling Green
Lead Richmond, Western Michigan
Kelsey Smith, Toledo
Camryn Wise, Ball State
MAC Tournament MVP
Jessica Costlow, Toledo
Â
Up Next
Toledo will wait to see its draw for the NCAA Women's Volleyball Tournament. The selection show will be on Sunday, Nov. 30 at 6:00 p.m. on ESPN.
Follow the Rockets
Instagram: Toledo_VB
Twitter/X: Toledo_VB
Facebook: Toledo Volleyball
Â
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