FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Toledo women's volleyball team closed out its non-conference campaign on Saturday with 3-0 victories over Mercyhurst and the host Mastodons at the Purdue Fort Wayne Invitational. The Rockets have now won nine straight sets to improve their overall record to 9-3.

Senior Kelsey Smith earned tournament MVP honors, while senior Sophie Catalano and freshman Jessica Costlow were named to the all-tournament team.

Toledo recorded a season-high .422 attack percentage in its afternoon sweep over the Lakers, including a .462 mark in the first set and a .448 mark in the second. UT limited Mercyhurst to a -.022 clip.

Three Rockets tallied over .500 hitting percentages on ten-plus attempts. Sophomore Olivia Heitkamp had a team-high eight kills with a .500 clip, while Costlow and redshirt sophomore Kayla Ozanich each added seven kills with .583 and.538 percentages, respectively. Sophomore Grace Freiberger totaled 10 digs and five assists, while Smith tallied 23 assists and five kills. Junior Avery Adamski delivered a team-best three aces.

In Toledo's evening match against Purdue Fort Wayne, Costlow led the way with a .417 hitting mark. Toledo again excelled defensively and held the Mastodons to just a .107 hitting percentage. Catalano and Heitkamp led the way with 11 kills each, while Smith collected a team-high 34 assists. Freiberger tied her career best with a team-high four service aces.

Quoting Head Coach Brian Wright
On the win over Mercyhurst
"Getting 13 people in the match and keeping a high level of execution all the way around throughout takes a high level of focus. Great job starting the day - now we start our next scout, take care of our bodies, get some food and prep to play again in four hours."

On the win over Purdue Fort Wayne
"Another match with contributions from a lot of players and another match where we executed our best in big moments. 30-28 in the final set was high level offense by both teams. Earning 23 of our points on kills is big time. We look forward to a few days of practice this week before getting to be back home on Thursday to start MAC play!"

Key Moments vs. Mercyhurst

• A 6-0 run with Avery Adamski behind the service line in the first set gave Toledo a 13-5 lead. Brooke Naniseni's kill extended the Rockets' lead to 21-10 before a termination from Jessica Costlow clinched the set.
• The Rockets jumped out to an 11-6 lead in the second set behind kills from Sierra Pertzborn and Costlow. Terminations from Naniseni, Pertzborn and Iremnur Elmas pushed Toledo's lead to 21-11. Costlow's seventh kill of the afternoon secured the set victory.
• An ace from Adamski put the Rockets ahead 11-5 in the third set. Olivia Heitkamp hammered home a kill to put Toledo in front by 10, 19-9, and a kill from Kayla Ozanich secured the sweep for the Rockets.

Key Moments vs. Purdue Fort Wayne

• The Rockets held a slim 8-7 lead in the first set when three straight Mastodon attack errors led to a 6-1 run and a 14-8 lead. Later, with the score at 18-12, Sydney Crowley recorded two straight service aces and a kill, securing the set win for Toledo.
• Late in the second set, Sierra Pertzborn's kill provided the Rockets with a 23-18 advantage. Kills from Crowley and Olivia Heitkamp then finished off the sets and put the Rockets' match lead to 2-0.
• Jessica Costlow came up huge in Toledo's thrilling 30-28 final-set victory, notching pivotal kills with the Rockets facing set point at 27-26 and 28-27. Pertzborn and Kelsey Smith teamed up for a block on the next point, and a Mastodon attack error closed out the match.

Up Next
Toledo opens MAC play, hosting Kent State and Ohio on Thursday, Sept. 25 and Friday, Sept. 26. First serve is set for 6:00 p.m. from Savage Arena, with coverage on ESPN+ for both matches.

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