Toledo Posts Best Start in Program History with 3-1 Victory Over Kent State

Thursday, October 8

Toledo, Ohio

6 p.m.

University of Toledo

13-2,5-0MAC

Kent State

7-9,1-4MAC

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Kent St.	16	14	25	23	1
Toledo	25	25	22	25	3

Maddy Bach amassed 1,000 career assists as the Rockets earned a 3-1 win over Kent State for the best start in program history (13-2).

Photo by: Ellen Holton

Toledo Posts Best Start in Program History with 3-1 Victory Over Kent State

10/8/2026 8:53:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

Rockets roll to fifth-straight win as Maddy Bach records 1,000 career assists

TOLEDO, Ohio – The Toledo women's volleyball team tallied a 3-1 win (25-18, 25-14, 22-25, 25-23) over Kent State on Thursday night at Savage Arena.

The victory was the fifth-straight for the Rockets and moves Toledo to 13-2 (5-0 MAC), which is the best start to a season in program history. This also marks the second-consecutive season that UT has started Mid-American Conference play with five-straight wins.

Sophomore setter Maddy Bach amassed 1,000 career assists on Thursday night as she totaled 24 helpers throughout the contest.

Three Rockets totaled double-figure kills, led by Kayla Ozanich with 12 kills to go along with a team-high five blocks. Jessica Costlow had 10 kills and 15 digs for her fifth double-double of the season. Sophie Catalano also recorded 10 kills while Sierra Pertzborn added nine terminations.

Janelle Green had a team-high 26 assists while Grace Freiberger tallied 17 digs. Avery Adamski chipped in a team-best three service aces to go with nine digs.

Quoting Head Coach Brian Wright
"I'm proud of the way we came out executing well from the service line, offensively and defensively. Kent State made some fantastic adjustments and really put us on our heels in the third and start of the fourth. I loved our resiliency to keep fighting and make some adjustments to get a gritty fourth set comeback win! Tonight was also extra special for me as we had the American Heart Association match. Our team had the honor of meeting so many amazing warriors, including Ariel who was able to connect with the team before and attend her first college volleyball match. I have so much gratitude for the way volleyball brings together great people and creates amazing opportunities and betters the world."

Key Moments

Toledo kicked off the first set with a 5-0 run to get in front early. The Flashes and the Rockets traded runs as UT extended the lead, 13-7. Two kills from Kayla Ozanich kept Toledo in front, 20-12, and Maddy Bach put the Rockets at set point with a kill, 24-16. A block from Sierra Pertzborn and Lilly Merk secured the set win.
The Rockets and Flashes went back-and-forth to open the second set, but Toledo took an 8-5 lead and then strung together a 10-1 surge behind kills from Sophie Catalano and Pertzborn to sprint ahead, 22-12. Pertzborn fired off a kill to take the set win.
Toledo and Kent State traded points to begin the third set before KSU took a 13-11 lead. The Flashes extended ahead, 19-13, before Toledo got within three thanks to an ace from Janelle Green, 20-17. A kill from Pertzborn closed the gap to two, 23-21, before Kent State took the set with a kill.
Kent State used a 3-0 run to get out to a 12-7 lead in the fourth set. An ace from Avery Adamski kicked off a 5-0 run for the Rockets to even the set, 13-13, before the Flashes regained the lead with a four-point surge, 18-15. After trading blows, Toledo evened the set on a kill from Olivia Heitkamp, 23-23, before the Rockets took the match victory with a KSU error and a kill from Costlow.

Up Next
Toledo wraps up the series with Kent State on Friday, Oct. 9 for the final Glass City match of the season. First serve from Savage Arena is set for 6 p.m. on ESPN+. Tickets are available at UTRockets.com/tickets.