Toledo 3, Ball State 2
Box Score
TOLEDO, Ohio – In one of the most exciting matches in recent program history, the University of Toledo women's volleyball team took down undefeated Ball State in five sets (25-17, 17-25, 25-21, 20-25, 21-19) on Thursday night in Savage Arena.

The Rockets (2-3, 2-3 MAC) faced four match points in the fifth set and didn't flinch, battling back each time to stay alive before delivering the final three points of the night to take down the Cardinals (4-1, 4-1 MAC). 

Freshman Taylor Alt was incredible, tallying 29 kills including the match-winner to carry her team to victory. Her 29 terminations are the second-most ever in a match in program history and the most since TaNeisha Winters had 29 against Central Michigan on Nov. 13, 2007. Alt is one of six players in an NCAA Division I match this season to have at least 29 kills. The Ottawa, Ohio native came up when it mattered most, registering eight kills and hitting .462 in the fifth set.

Sophomore Ryann Jaqua started her third straight match at libero and recorded 37 digs, tied for fifth-most in a match in program history and the most since Maurissa Leonard had a school-record 40 in 2017. She is averaging 7.16 digs/set over her last three matches. Freshman setter Payton Morman added 57 assists and 10 digs, her second match with at least 50 assists this year.

Senior Rhyen Neal had 21 digs, eclipsing 1,000 for her career with her 17^th dig of the match in the fourth set.
Sophomore Liz Beasley added a career-high 13 kills, while classmates Olivia Vance and Rhyenne Filisi both added nine terminations.

Toledo and Ball State will battle it out again on Friday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. on ESPN3.
 

Central Michigan 3, Northern Illinois 2
Box Score
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Cohesiveness, composure, grit and help from some unexpected sources when it was sorely needed.
 
The Central Michigan volleyball team outlasted Northern Illinois in a grueling five-set Mid-American Conference match on Thursday at McGuirk Arena, snapping a three-match losing streak and improving to 2-3.
 
NIU (1-4) took the opening set, 25-22, and then CMU responded with a 25-21 win in set two and a 25-19 victory in set three. The Huskies overcame a 5-0 deficit to take set four, 26-24, sending it to the decisive fifth set.
 
The Chippewas prevailed, 15-11, ending it on an Anna Erickson kill, her career-high 25^th of the night.
 
The Chippewas and Huskies will play the finale of their two-match set on Friday (2 p.m.) at McGuirk.
 
It was a big win for CMU, which was playing without two starters, Kendall Braate and Kalina Smith, who is injured and is out for the season.
 
 
Ohio 3, Akron 1
Box Score
AKRON, Ohio -- Senior middle blocker Tia Jimerson (Sugar Hill, Ga.) totaled a match-high 14 kills and six block assists as the Ohio volleyball team (2-1, 2-1 MAC) picked up its first road win of the 2021 spring season with a 3-1 (25-22, 25-19, 19-25, 25-20) victory over host Akron (1-4, 1-4 MAC) Thursday (February 4) evening at James A. Rhodes Arena. 

Jimerson hit .300 for the match and was one of four Bobcats to tally double-digit kills. Junior outside hitter Mariana Rodrigues (Santana De Parnaiba, Brazil) recorded a double-double with 12 kills and 11 digs. Junior outside hitter/right-side hitter Lauren Park (Millersburg, Ohio) posted 11 kills while senior opposite hitter Maggie Nedoma (Brook Park, Ohio) attacked at a .261 clip and finished with 10 kills. Freshman setter Tria McLean (Battle Creek, Neb.) directed the offense with 48 assists and also added two service aces.

Freshman defensive specialist/libero Sam Steele (Omaha, Neb.) led the match with 27 digs. Also logging double digit digs were freshman defensive specialist/libero Maci Watrous (Coppell, Texas) with 16 and senior libero/defensive specialist Macy Reihing (Lexington, Ky.) with 11. Watrous also tallied a match-high four service aces.

Akron jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the opening set, but Ohio rattled off five-straight points courtesy of three service aces by Watrous and two kills by redshirt freshman middle blocker Caitlin O'Farrell (Suwanee, Ga.) to give the Bobcats a 14-12 lead. Ohio never trailed in the set again en route to a three-point win. Jimerson and Rodrigues led the way in the opening act with four kills apiece.
The Bobcats posted a six-point victory in the second set to take a 2-0 lead in the match. Nedoma paced Ohio with five kills while Jimerson tacked on three more to her total in addition to two block assists. Ohio broke a 10-all tie courtesy of a service ace by McLean and led the rest of the way.

The Zips extended the evening with a six-point win of their own in the third set, but Ohio sealed the deal with a five-point victory in set four. The match-clinching win in the fourth set saw Jimerson compile five kills while hitting .400 and Nedoma, Park and Rodrigues each log three kills. Akron accounted for the first three points of the set, but Ohio scored four of the next five to even the score and then took a lead it never relinquished on an attack error by the Zips.

Ohio and Akron will square off again on Friday (February 5) at the JAR, with action slated to get underway at 7 p.m. ET.
 
 
Kent State 3, Buffalo 0
Box Score
BUFFALO, N.Y. – Kent State posted a season-best .329 hitting percentage during Thursday night's 3-0 (25-15, 25-17, 25-18) win over host Buffalo inside of Alumni Arena.

Sophomore Savannah Matthews led the Golden Flashes (3-0) with 16 kills while hitting at a career-best .520 clip. Sophomore Taylor Heberle finished with seven kills, while juniors Lana Strejcek and Danie Tyson added five kills apiece. Redshirt junior Alex Haffner tallied 33 assists while running an efficient offense.

In addition to excellent serving that included a career-high three aces, senior Kaeleigh Stang had a match-high 10 digs as Kent State held the Bulls to a .140 hitting percentage. Junior Erin Gardner added eight digs and was perfect in 21 service reception opportunities. Tyson had a team-best four total blocks.

The Flashes used an early 6-0 run to take control of the opening set. A 5-0 run later on gave Kent State its largest lead of the set at 17-6. Back-to-back aces by Kaeleigh Stang made it 24-13. Buffalo scored the next two points before Danie Tyson gave the Flashes a 25-15 victory with a crosscourt swing off a slide.

Kent State never trailed in the second set and used an 8-3 run to lead by six. The Bulls got within four, but the Flashes responded with a 6-2 run to go ahead 23-15. The teams traded the next four points with Tyson once again ending the set with a kill, this time with a score of 25-17. Savannah Matthews was nearly unstoppable in the set with eight kills and a .778 hitting percentage.

The third set was the most competitive of the night and featured seven ties. Trailing 9-7, Kent State scored the next five points as part of a larger 10-3 run to gain separation. A blocking error gave the set to the Flashes, 25-18.

Kent State and Buffalo will take the court for a rematch on Friday with first serve scheduled for 2 p.m.
 

Bowling Green 3, Miami 0
Box Score
Bowling Green, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University volleyball program advanced to 5-0 on the season, picking up a 3-0 win over Miami on Thursday night (Feb. 4). The win marks the Falcons' fourth sweep in their first five matches, a feat last accomplished during the 1999 campaign.
 
Additionally, for the first time since 2006, the Orange and Brown now have four consecutive sweeps in MAC play. The win also gives the Falcons sole possession of first place in the MAC early in the season after just five matches.
 
The Falcons will look to continue the hot start on Friday night (Feb. 5) as they square off against Miami again to conclude the team's slate of matches for the week. The match is set for a 5 p.m. start and will be available to stream on ESPN+. 
 

Western Michigan 3, Eastern Michigan 0
Box Score
YPSILANTI, Mich. – On Thursday night inside the EMU Convocation Center the Western Michigan volleyball team put on a dominant performance in a three-set victory (25-12, 25-21, 25-9) over in-state foe Eastern Michigan.

Western Michigan hit .277 as a team and held the Eagles to a .019 attack percentage on Friday night. The Broncos also had seven blocks to EMU's three and had three service aces and 52 digs.

Leading the way for the Brown & Gold was senior Rachel Bontrager with 11 kills, registering a .350 attack percentage. Bontrager also rattled off eight digs with one block assist. Behind Bontrager was freshman Andelyn Simkins with nine kills and a team-high 13 digs. Simkins recorded a .200 attack percentage and had two service aces.

Redshirt sophomore Janell Williams ranked third on the team with seven kills. Williams earned a staggering .583 attack percentage to go along with a team-high four blocks. The duo of Cassandra Smigiel and Maggie King each had four kills against the Eagles followed by Meredith Phillips with three and Logan Case with two.

Case led the Broncos with 33 assists along with one service ace and four digs. The Broncos had three players register double-digit digs with Simkins and senior Kaley Smith leading the way with 13 each. Freshman Mairead Boyle rounded out the double-digit digs effort with 10.

With the win Western Michigan now has an overall and Mid-American Conference record of 3-2. WMU will return to Ypsilanti on Friday, Jan.5 for its second match-up with Eastern Michigan. First serve is once again set for 6:00 p.m.