Saturday, Oct. 3 Volleyball Results
Ohio 3, Akron 1
Toledo 3, Ball State 1
Eastern Michigan 3, Central Michigan 1
 

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Recaps courtesy of Athletic Communications Departments

Ohio | Box Score
ATHENS, Ohio – The Ohio volleyball team (11-4, 4-0 MAC) concluded its series against Akron (6-10, 1-3) with a 3-1 victory (25-21, 18-25, 25-22, 25-20) on Saturday, Oct. 3. The Bobcats conclude this weekend with two victories against the Zips.

Ohio finished with 58 kills, three aces, nine blocks, 53 assists and 51 digs. Akron finished with 60 kills, two aces, five blocks, 53 assists and 51 digs. Both teams hit well; the Bobcats recorded a .309 team hitting percentage while the Zips finished with a .282 team percentage.

Freshman Rose Mahin was a standout player for Ohio against Akron. Mahin recorded a .368 attack percentage with a career-high 17 kills and three errors on 38 total attacks.

Sophomore Bailey Blair recorded a double-double with 13 kills and a team-high 12 digs. Seniors Torre Kildow, Emily Waddell, and Olivia Gardnercombined for 24 kills. Waddell and Gardner both hit above .300 and Kildow finished with a .292 percentage.

Freshman Rowan Kelly tallied a career-high 47 assists, contributing to the impressive .309 team hitting percentage. Senior Gentry Brown and junior Darbi Ricketts finished with eight digs each while Kelly added seven digs.

At the net, Waddell led the Bobcats with a team-high five blocks. Gardner and Kelly recorded four blocks each.

The Bobcats will be back in action when they hit the road for a two-game series at Bowling Green, starting on Friday, Oct. 9 at 6 p.m. ET. Both game will be available to watch on ESPN+.


Toledo | Box Score
TOLEDO, Ohio – The Toledo women's volleyball team took down Ball State for the second consecutive day with a 3-1 decision (25-18,17-25, 25-20, 25-11) on Saturday at Savage Arena.

The win propels UT into first place in the Mid-American Conference standings. It also marks the second straight season that Toledo has begun league play with a 4-0 record.

The weekend sweep over the Cardinals is the first time since 2016 that Toledo has won both regular season contests against Ball State.

The Rockets (12-2, 4-0 MAC) were led by Sierra Pertzborn, who had a season-high 14 kills on a .367 clip to go along with a team-best eight blocks. Jessica Costlow poured in eight kills and added 11 digs.

Grace Freiberger paced the defense with 18 digs, recording her 14th match this season with double-figure digs. Maddy Bach fired off 27 assists to go along with a team-best three service aces, while Janelle Green added 13 helpers.

The Toledo defense was strong for the second-straight night, holding Ball State to a .088 hitting percentage throughout the match, including a .000 mark in the third set and a -.0125 clip in the fourth set.

Toledo returns to Savage Arena to host Kent State on Thursday-Friday, Oct. 8-9. Both matches are set to begin at 6 p.m.


Eastern Michigan | Box Score
YPSILANTI, Mich. – The Eastern Michigan University volleyball team swept Central Michigan University, 3-0 (25-20, 26-24, 25-10), at home Saturday, Oct. 3, powered by a match-high 13.5 points from Nattie Slusher and a dominant net presence that doubled the Chippewas' block production.

The win moves Eastern Michigan to 8-8 overall and 2-2 in MAC play while Central Michigan falls to 0-17 overall and 0-4 in conference action. Slusher paced the offense with eight kills and a match-best five service aces, while AshleeKay Christensen added a team-high nine kills and 10 digs. Azra Eriç anchored the net with a match-best five total blocks and Surabhi Srinivasan tied for the match high in digs with 15 to go along with three aces.

Kaylin Richter ran the offense efficiently, posting a career-high 20 assists and seven digs, while Maddie Herman delivered a team-best .455 hitting percentage on five kills in just 11 attempts. Haley Trosky added five kills on 10 swings for a .400 hitting percentage and three total blocks. Lina Govoni contributed 14 assists and four digs as Eastern's offense found its rhythm throughout all three sets.

Match Notes
» Nattie Slusher led all players with 13.5 points on eight kills, five service aces, six digs and one block — both the 13.5 points and the five aces represent career highs at Eastern Michigan. Slusher had never recorded a service ace prior to this match, making her five-ace performance all the more remarkable.
» AshleeKay Christensen posted nine kills and 10 digs, matching her 2026 season highs in both categories, both previously set against Central Michigan on Sept. 22.
» Azra Eriç led all players with five total blocks (one solo, four assists), adding two kills for 5.0 points on the evening.
» Surabhi Srinivasan tied for the match high in digs with 15, adding three aces and four assists. She entered Saturday ranked first in the MAC and 48th nationally in total digs.
» Kaylin Richter set a career high with 20 assists, surpassing her previous best of 16 set against Central Michigan on Sept. 22, and added seven digs.
» Maddie Herman posted a team-best .455 hitting percentage on five kills in 11 attempts, adding three total blocks for 6.5 points.
» Haley Trosky hit .400 with five kills on 10 attempts and contributed three total blocks for 6.5 points.
» Lina Govoni totaled 14 assists, four digs and one block in support of the Eagles' offensive effort.
» EMU recorded eight service aces in the match, moving to 4-1 in 2026 when recording eight or more aces in a match.
» The Eagles posted 10 total blocks, doubling Central Michigan's five, and held the Chippewas to a .026 hitting percentage on 25 attack errors
» Eastern Michigan's freshman class continued to fuel the offense, with Slusher and Govoni among the key contributors Saturday.
» The victory is EMU's first home win of the 2026 season, improving the Eagles to 1-3 at home.
» Head coach Kevin Foeman improved to 39-68 at Eastern Michigan and 192-157 in his career with the sweep.

Eastern heads back on the road Tuesday, Oct. 9, traveling to Buffalo, N.Y., to face the University at Buffalo in MAC action. Watch live on ESPN+.