FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Toledo women's volleyball team recorded a 3-0 sweep (25-16, 25-23, 26-24) over Bellarmine on Friday evening in the opening match of the Purdue Fort Wayne Invitational in Fort Wayne, Ind.

The Rockets (7-3) offense was led by senior Sophie Catalano with nine kills, five of which came in the first set on a .833 clip. Redshirt sophomore Sierra Pertzborn poured in seven kills on a .400 hitting percentage. Five Rockets tallied three or more kills, including Jessica Costlow and Kayla Ozanich who added four terminations each.

Senior setter Kelsey Smith totaled 24 assists and 10 digs to record her third-straight double-double while senior Macy Medors chipped in 10 digs.
The team recorded 10 total blocks, led by Pertzborn, Smith and Anna Alford with four blocks each. Iremnur Elmas and Grace Freiberger each tallied three service aces, as the team totaled eight total aces.

The Rockets defense held the Knights offense to a .064 hitting percentage throughout the match, including a -.148 mark in the first set.

Quoting Coach Wright
On a full team effort:
"Great team win today! We had a lot of contributions from a lot of people in the match. It was really nice to see us play our best when we got pushed in the third, to find a way to come back late in the set was another great sign of how this team executes well under pressure and enjoys the big moments."

On Sophie's Play:
"Sophie was a steady presence throughout the match along with Kelsey, Grace, Avery Adamski and Macy. Sophie took some big time swings and also showed her high volleyball IQ throughout the match."

Key Moments

• A 5-0 run in the first set, powered behind an ace from Grace Freiberger and a kill from Sierra Pertzborn, put Toledo in front 14-9. A block from Pertzborn and Kelsey Smith extended the Rockets' lead, 19-11, before the second ace from Freiberger secured the set win.
• Bellarmine took a 12-7 lead in the second set, but the Rockets got within two, 12-10, with back-to-back blocks from Anna Alford and Smith. Kayla Ozanich buried a termination to tie the match, 18-18, before taking a slight lead off of a kill from Olivia Heitkamp, 23-21. An ace from Smith put Toledo at set point and a service error from the Knights gave the Rockets the set victory.
• The Rockets ripped off a 4-0 surge to take a 6-2 lead in the third set. The Knights responded with a 4-1 run of their own and tied the match, 10-10. After back-and-forth action, Bellarmine took a 20-15 lead with two straight kills. A service error from the Knights and kill from Pertzborn got Toledo within two, 21-19, and a kill from Brooke Naniseni knotted the set, 23-23. A kill from Pertzborn put the Rockets at match point and a block from Alford and Smith secured the sweep.  

Up Next
Toledo closes out the Purdue Fort Wayne Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 20 with matchups against Mercyhurst and Purdue Fort Wayne. First serve against Mercyhurst is set for 1:30 p.m. with action against the Mastodons set for 7:00 p.m.

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