TOLEDO DOWNS JACKS IN FIVE

Friday, September 10

Toledo, Ohio

6 p.m. CT

South Dakota State University

4-2,0-0Summit League

Toledo

6-1,0-0MAC

South Dakota St.

Toledo

Photo by: Dave Eggen/Inertia

9/10/2021 10:07:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

TOLEDO, Ohio – Host Toledo rallied to win the final two sets, defeating South Dakota State, 3-2, in volleyball action Friday night during the opening round of the Blue and Gold Tournament.

Set scores were 23-25, 25-15, 23-25, 25-22 and 15-12 in favor of the Rockets, who improved to 6-1 on the season. SDSU dropped to 4-2 overall as the Jackrabbits had their three-match winning streak snapped.

In the fifth-and-deciding set, Toledo scored the first three points before the Jackrabbits knotted the score at 4-all on a solo block by Hailee Blau. The two teams traded points before Toledo gained the momentum for the final time with a 5-0 run that included a kill and a service ace by Taylor Alt.

Alt led Toledo with 19 kills, while Rhyenne Filisi added 12 kills and five blocks.

SDSU got out to a quick start, building an 8-3 lead in the opening set thanks to three consecutive hitting errors by the Rockets. The Jackrabbits extended their lead to six points on a couple occasions midway through the set before Toledo mounted a late charge, staving off two set points to pull to within 24-23. However, Crystal Burk ended the first set with one of her 16 kills on the night.

Toledo dominated the second set, but the Jackrabbits countered with another 25-23 win in the third set. Burk and fellow outside hitter Chloe Stitt combined for 10 kills in the set. Stitt, a graduate transfer from Summitville, Indiana, tallied six of her match-high 20 kills in the third stanza en route to hitting .302 (20-7-43) in the match.

The Rockets broke a 2-all tie in the fourth set and maintained the lead until the Jackrabbits rallied to draw even at 21 and again at 22 before Toledo scored the final three points to force a fifth set.

Toledo held a narrow .203 to .194 advantage in hitting percentage and recorded five more kills than the Jackrabbits, 63-58. Both teams were solid at the net defensively with Toledo holding a 12-10 advantage in blocks.

The match, ultimately, was decided at the service line. Despite committing three more service errors, Toledo notched 11 service aces while SDSU did not record an ace on the evening.

Faith Saewert led SDSU with 17 digs, while Burk completed a double-double with 11 digs. Carly Wedel was credited with 47 set assists.

UP NEXT
The Jackrabbits are scheduled to play twice on Saturday to close out tournament play. SDSU is slated to meet Youngstown State at 10 a.m. ET (9 a.m. Central), followed by a 4:30 p.m. ET (3:30 p.m. CT) matchup against Valparaiso.

NOTES

Friday's match marked the first-ever meeting between the Jackrabbits and Toledo in volleyball
Stitt reached double figures in kills for the third match in a row and fourth time this season
Burk's double-double was her third of the season
Wedel's 47 assists were her most in a match since tallying 49 in a five-set match against Western Illinois in 2019
SDSU played a five-set match for the first time this season and is now 1-2 in five-set matches in Dan Georgalas' two seasons as head coach

-GoJacks.com-