Falcons Soar Past Rockets In Four Sets, Win Battle of I-75

Saturday, October 30

Toledo, OH

6:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

16-7,12-1MAC

Toledo

16-9,7-6MAC

Bowling Green

Toledo

Photo by: Mallory Hiser, BGSU Athletics

October 30, 2021 | Volleyball

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By: by David Dietrich, BGSU Strategic Communications

TOLEDO, Ohio – The Bowling Green Falcons volleyball team (16-7, 12-1) defeated the Toledo Rockets (16-9, 7-6) in four sets in the 2021 edition of the Battle of I-75. After dropping the opening set, the Falcons rebounded to win the next three. Bowling Green has won six of the last seven matches in the Battle of I-75, including the last four in Savage Arena. All six of their victories have been in four sets.

How It Happened
Set 1: BGSU 19, Toledo 25
The Rockets took control at the start of the match, scoring the first eight points of the opening set. The Falcons responded with three consecutive kills, but UT scored three of the next four points. BGSU scored the next two points, then the Rockets went on a 3-0 run to take a 14-6 lead. After a Katie Kidwell kill, UT landed back-to-back kills to force another Bowling Green timeout. The Falcons came out of the break on a 6-2 run, with Katelyn Meyer recording a pair of kills. The Rockets answered with two points, then the Falcons responded with two of their own. Neither team gained momentum for the rest of the set, alternating points until the hosts clinched the set on a kill.

Set 2: BGSU 25, Toledo 23
UT took an early 4-1 lead in the second set, but BGSU answered with their own 4-1 run behind a pair of kills by Meyer. Toledo built a three-point advantage, then Bowling Green went on a 4-0 run to take the lead before the media timeout. The run extended to 5-0 after the break, then the teams traded kills for the next three points. After a BGSU attack error, the rivals alternated kills for three more points. The Rockets called a timeout and scored the next two points, forcing a BGSU timeout with the score tied 19-19. Once again, the teams traded points, but a 3-0 Bowling Green run induced set point and a UT timeout. The Rockets landed a kill out of the break to force a Falcon timeout, then Petra Indrova clinched the set with a kill.

Set 3: BGSU 25, Toledo 22
Bowling Green flipped the script to start the third set, taking a 4-0 lead behind three straight kills by Indrova. Toledo climbed back to tie the set at 11-11, then the Falcons went on a 4-1 run before the media timeout. The teams traded scores for seven consecutive points after the break, then UT took a timeout. Bowling Green scored the first two points after the timeout, then Toledo answered with three consecutive kills to force a Falcon timeout. Both teams scored twice before the Rockets took another timeout, then BGSU clinched the set on a pair of UT attack errors.

Set 4: BGSU 26, Toledo 24
Toledo took their turn starting fast in the fourth set, scoring the first four points to force a Bowling Green timeout. The Rockets landed a kill after the break, then the Falcons went on a 6-1 run to tie it up. During this stretch, Kat Mandly, Petra Indrova, and Jaden Walz recorded kills. The teams remained close for the next chunk of play, with neither squad tallying more than two consecutive points before a 3-0 UT run forced a BGSU timeout. The Falcons trimmed the deficit to one with a 4-1 run, forcing a Toledo timeout. BGSU's run extended to 7-2 after three more kills, giving the Orange and Brown a 19-18 lead. The squads once again traded points, with Toledo taking a timeout after the Falcons tied the game 21-21. Out of the break, the teams traded five consecutive points, with Toledo reaching set point. Petra Indrova tied the set 24-24 with a kill, then gave the Falcons the lead with an ace. On the next rally, Katelyn Meyer landed her 12^th kill of the match to give the Falcons a victory in the Battle of I-75.

Falcon Stat Leaders
Kills: Petra Indrova (19)
Assists: Jaden Walz (46)
Digs: Julia Walz (32)
Aces: Petra Indrova, Julia Walz (2 each)
Blocks: Madelynn Luebcke (3 solo blocks, 2 block assists)

Falcon Facts

Jaden Walz registered career-highs in assists (46) and kills (3).
Madelynn Luebcke recorded a career-best 3 solo blocks.
Julia Walz tallied over 30 digs for the third time this season.
The match featured 24 ties, including 15 in the fourth set.

Coach Tomic's Take
"Players and teams show what they are made of by how they respond to adversity and setbacks. Our team showed a lot of character, resiliency, unity, and determination in tonight's win against a tough Toledo team. The bounce-back wins are always special because they require a lot of mental and emotional strength and discipline. Our team showed we have all of that and more, and that's what makes me the proudest as a coach."

Up Next
The Falcons return to the Stroh Center for a series against the Kent State Golden Flashes. The first game begins at 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 5. The second game begins at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 6. Friday will be Fan Appreciation Night and Saturday will be Senior Night.

Follow the Falcons
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Twitter - @BGAthletics and @BGSUVolleyball
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