Women's Volleyball

Zips, Eagles, Rockets, Golden Flashes Secure Non-Conference Victories

Friday Volleyball results
Maryland Eastern Shore 3, Ohio 2
Eastern Michigan 3, Oakland 0
Northern Iowa 3, Western Michigan 0
Toledo 3, Bellarmine 0
Duquesne 3, Buffalo 0
#11 Purdue 3, Ball State 0
Akron 3, Cleveland State 0
Northern Kentucky 3, Miami 0
Michigan State 3, Bowling Green 1
Charlotte 3, Ohio 0
Kent State 3, Youngstown State 2
 
Recaps courtesy of Athletic Communications Departments

Eastern Michigan 3, Oakland 0 | Box Score
FISHERS, Ind. – The Eastern Michigan University volleyball team recorded a program top 10 hitting percentage, hitting .381 in a non-conference sweep over Oakland University Friday, Sept. 19, at the Fishers Event Center, in the second game of the Butler Invitational.
 
Eastern's .381 hitting percentage ranks ninth in program history and fourth in the Mid-American Conference this season, and is the team's second time breaking into the program top 10 in 2025.
 
Junior outside hitter Ava Siefke led the team, recording her sixth double-double of the season with 14 kills and 11 digs while hitting a blistering .414. Taeley Mahler tied a career-best with 10 kills off a .409 clip.
 
Ashlynn Belcher facilitated the offense, leading the team with 36 assists, while Hatteras Welker and Surabhi Srinivasan led the defense, posting four blocks and 16 digs, respectively.
 
Match Notes
» Eastern's record improved to 8-4 (0-0 MAC) while Oakland's shifted to 0-11 (0-0 Horizon).
» Eastern's .381 hitting percentage ranks ninth in program history and slots fourth in the conference. It is the team's second time entering the program top 10 this season, as its .424 clip against Purdue University-Fort Wayne, Sept. 6, ranks sixth in the program leaderboard and first in the MAC.
» EMU's 50 kills mark its second time eclipsing the 50 mark in a three-set match this season, as the total ranks second in the MAC in three-set contests. The Eagles hold the top spot in the category, landing 51 kills in a sweep over Niagara University, Sept. 6.
» Eastern's best offensive set was the second, landing 19 kills off a .621 hitting percentage with just one error.
» Eastern dominated the stat battle as it had more kills (50-30), assists (46-27), aces (4-3), digs (51-37), and blocks (7-4) than its opponent. It marked the second time this season the team has done so, with the last occurrence coming in a sweep over Niagara, Sept. 6.
» Eastern out-hit its foe (.381 - .130) for the eighth time this season, producing an 8-0 record when doing so. EMU is 22-4 overall under Head Coach Kevin Foeman when out-hitting its opponent.
» EMU tallied more kills than its opponent for the ninth time, resulting in an 8-1 record in 2025, and 18-3 mark under Foeman.
» Eastern's 46 assists are the third-most in a three-set match in the conference this season and ninth in the nation by value.
» Eastern hit over .250 for the fourth time this season. It produces a 4-0 record when doing so.
» Welker set a season best with a .600 hitting percentage while adding nine kills and four blocks.
» Belcher led the team in assists for the 12th time this season as she recorded 34, the third-most in a three-set match in the conference. The match marked the ninth time she has gone over 30 assists in 2025.
» Srinivasan grabbed 16 digs, marking her career-best 10th 10+ dig game of the season.
» Siefke's 14 kills led the team, marking her ninth time doing so this season. The match continued her 10+ kills streak to 12 games, the most consistent stretch of her career and longest since Callie Minshew had 13 straight in the 2021 season, Aug. 25-Sept. 21.
» Siefke posted her sixth double-double of the season, the most on the team and a career best as Eastern is 5-1 this season when she does so. Her 11 digs are her sixth time with at least 10 in a match this season.
 
Historical Notes
»  The match marked the 36th between the Eagles and Golden Grizzlies. Overall, EMU is 27-9 against Oakland, and 2-3 when facing it at a neutral site. The game also marked the second time Eastern and Oakland have met in Indianapolis. EMU is now 1-1 in such contests.
» Eastern's .381 hitting percentage ranks ninth in program history.
» Belcher needs one more dig to reach 500 in her career.
 
Up Next
The Eagles close out the invitational tomorrow, Saturday, Sept. 20, with a 5 p.m. match against the host Bulldogs. Fans can stream the game live on ESPN+


Toledo 3, Bellarmine 0 | Box Score
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.

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.


Akron 3, Cleveland State 0 | Box Score
AKRON, OH -- The Akron Zips volleyball team swept the Cleveland State Vikings 3-0 by scores of 25-9, 28-26, and 25-22 on Friday night at home at James A. Rhodes Arena.

The Zips offense was paced by Delaney Gash, who finished with 14 kills with a .303 hitting percentage. Maureen Mathews followed with 11 kills, while Vanessa Del Real  led the defensive charge with12 digs. The Zips recorded six blocks as Chidera Ozoh led the charge with four block assists and Martina Villani followed with three. Mathews added a solo block.

The out-of-conference victory improved Akron's overall record to 7-4 on the season.

Game Notes
» Martina Villani had a match-high three aces in the win.
» Akron served up five aces on the way to a first-set victory.
» Delaney Gash had a match-high 14 kills for Akron.
» Akron got a match-high 12 digs from Vanessa Del Real.
» Akron attackers were helped by a match-high 31 assists from Martina Villani.

Up Next
Akron begins Mid-American Conference action with a pair of home contests against Miami (Sept. 25) and Ball State (Sept. 26) at James A. Rhodes Arena.


Kent State 3, Youngstown State 2 | Box Score
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Kent State overcame a three-point deficit late in the fifth set and defeated Youngstown State, 3-2 (25-19, 19-25, 25-21, 20-25, 16-14), in the non-conference finale on Friday.

Trailing 12-9, the Golden Flashes (5-6) began the comeback on a cross-court shot by senior Mackenzie McGuire that the Penguins defender was unable to control for a kill. Freshman Macie Moreland recorded kills on two of the next three points, but a YSU attacker caught the tips of a blocker on the following point to put the host ahead 14-12.

A long rally coming out of a timeout ended with a Penguin sending the ball into the net to keep Kent State alive. Another YSU mistake, this time a set too far outside of the antenna, tied it at 14-14. Moreland put the Flashes ahead with a tip over the block and McGuire secured the victory with a kill from the back row.

McGuire with a match-high 25 kills and tallied 11 digs for her second consecutive double-double. Moreland entered early in the third set and finished with eight kills. Junior Christina Vigil added a career-high seven kills to go with 45 assists and 12 digs.

Freshman Catie Patterson led the defense with a career-high 18 digs. Sophomore Lesley Furuta recorded a season-high 15 digs, while sophomore Hailey Brenner added 11 digs and tied her career-high with four service aces. Redshirt sophomore Adalynn Ginley totaled seven blocks.

Kent State will be back on the road next weekend as Mid-American Conference play begins with matches against Toledo on Sept. 25 and Bowling Green on Sept. 26.