Zips Host Toledo in Pivotal Series This Weekend - Senior Day on Saturday

Friday, November 14

Akron, Ohio

6:00 PM

University of Akron

Toledo

Tickets

Zips Host Toledo in Pivotal Series This Weekend - Senior Day on Saturday

November 13 | Women's Volleyball

AKRON, Ohio - Akron concludes the regular season with the Toledo Rockets coming to James A. Rhodes Arena for a pair of games on November 14 and 15. The Zips will also honor their four seniors on Saturday, November 15.

How To Follow The Action
Friday: Stats | Video
Saturday: Stats | Video

Stat Leaders
Akron: Kills: Delaney Gash (425) | Assists: Martina Villani (1070) | Points: Delaney Gash (461) | Aces: Vanessa Del Real (44) | Digs: Vanessa Del Real (429) | Blocks: Chidera Ozoh (119)
Toledo: Kills: Olivia Heitkamp (294) | Assists: Kelsey Smith (1052) | Points: Sierra Pertzborn (331.5) | Aces: Grace Freiberger (42) | Digs: Grace Freiberger (509) | Blocks: Sierra Pertzborn (117)

A Look At The Series
Toledo: Akron trails 28-33 | Norton vs Toledo: 0-4
First Played: 1974 (Akron 2, Toledo 0)
Last Played: Oct 17, 2024 (Akron,1, Toledo 3)

Akron and Toledo will battle for the 52nd and 53rd time in the all-time series. Toledo currently holds a 33-28 edge in the series and has won the past five matches against the Zips. Before the current losing streak, Akron had won four straight from October 6, 2018, through March 27, 2021.

The Zips started the series with a five-game winning streak before the Rockets rattled off 10 straight. Akron has also posted a 10-game winning streak against the Rockets, with those wins coming from November 5, 1994, through September 20, 2000.

Senior Day
Akron will honor four seniors on Saturday, November 15. Gabby Brissett, Jaryn Morgan, Maureen Mathews and Katelyn Crofts will be honored prior to Saturday's contest.

Last Time Out (11/7-11/8)
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (11/8) - The Akron volleyball team grabbed an early two-set lead, but couldn't hold on and lost 3-2 (25-18, 25-20, 22-25, 19-25, 10-15) to the Bowling Green Falcons on Saturday.

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (11/7) - The Akron volleyball team got the job done in straight sets (25-20, 25-20, 25-22) to take down the Bowling Green Falcons Friday at the Stroh Center.

Delaney Gash finished with 16 kills on the day to lead the Zips attack. Defensively, Akron had two players reach double figures in digs as Vanessa Del Real had 13 and Reilly Chausse had 11. From the front row, Martina Villani contributed five blocks while adding a team-high 39 assists

Zips At A Glance
The Zips return to James A. Rhodes Arena for a pivotal series with the Toledo Rockets this week for the regular season finale. Akron enters the series with a 15-12 overall record and an 8-8 record in the MAC.

Akron went 1-1 against Bowling Green this past week, winning the first game 3-0 while falling in five sets in game two.

Delaney Gash led the offense with 32 kills (4.00 per set) while adding three aces, 15 digs and one block. Martina Villani recorded a double-double on Saturday with 37 assists and a career-high 20 digs. She averaged 9.50 assists per set (76 total) against the Falcons while adding three aces, eight blocks, four kills and 24 digs on the week. Vanessa Del Real notched four aces on the week while supplying nine assists and 27 digs (3.38 per set). Chidera Ozoh gave Akron 11 blocks while adding 10 kills against the Falcons.

So far this season, Gash leads the Zips in kills (425) and points (461). Villani is the leader in assists (1070) while Del Real leads the way in digs (429) and aces (44). Ozoh is the leader for total blocks (119).

Scouting Report

Toledo: The Toledo Rockets enter the final week of the regular season with a 19-9 overall record and a 10-6 record in the MAC.

Toledo is coming off a 1-1 week that saw them split a home series against Buffalo. After falling 3-2 in the first game, Toledo came back and took a 3-0 victory over Buffalo.

In the victory, Olivia Heitkamp led the Rockets' offense, tallying 11 kills for her 15th contest this season with double-figure terminations. Sierra Pertzborn added nine kills on a .429 clip to go along with a team-high six blocks. Sophie Catalano and Jessica Costlow each poured in nine kills throughout the match.

Grace Freiberger totaled 17 digs while the senior setter Smith recorded her 13th double-double of the season with 36 assists and 10 digs.

So far this season, Heitkamp leads the Rockets in kills (294) while Pertzborn holds the lead in points (331.5) and blocks (117). Sophie Smith leads the way in assists (1052) and Freiberger is the leader in digs (509).

Toledo ranks in the top five in the MAC in total points (1st - 1865), points per set (1st - 17.11), opp hitting pct (1st - 1.61), hitting pct (2nd - .218), fewest opp assists per set (2nd - 10.72), fewest opp kills per set (2nd. - 11.53), total kills (4th - 1396), kills per set (4th - 12.81), fewest opp blocks per set (1st - 1.79), total blocks (4th - 239.0), blocks per set (4th - 2.19), fewest opp aces per set (3rd - 1.16), total aces (1st - 230), aces per set (1st - 2.11), total digs (3rd - 1676) and digs per set (3rd - 15.38)

The Rockets rank 7th in the NCAA in aces per set (2.11), 63rd in digs per set (15.37), 14th in lowest opp hitting pct (.161), 25th in total assists (1,271), 15th in total digs (1,675), 16th in total kills (1,396) and 37th in total blocks (239).

Individually, Kelsey Smith ranks 62nd in assists per set (9.65) and 7th in total assists (1,052). Grace Freiberger ranks 35th in digs per set (4.66), 32nd in total aces (42) and 10th in total digs (508). Sierra Pertzborn ranks 60th in total aces (39) and 36th in total blocks (117).

Milestones To Watch For

Vanessa Del Real is 212 digs from tying Jennifer Borton (1992-95) for 10th in all-time digs (1,469).
Del Real is 5 aces away from tying Ashley Lewis (1997-2000) for 10th in all-time aces (136).
Del Real is 121 assists away from 500 as a Zip.
Martina Villani is 525 assists from tying Carol Claridge (1987-88) for 10th in all-time assists (1,880).
Villani is 123 assists away from tying Lyndsay Schmiedel (1,193 - 2003) for the 10th most assists in a single season.
Villani is 185 digs away from 500 as a Zips.
Maureen Mathews is 291 kills away from 1,000 career kills.
Mathews is 223.5 points away from 1,000 in her career.
Reilly Chausse is 79 digs away from 500 as a Zip.
Delaney Gash is 184 digs away from 500 as a Zip.
Gash is 31 kills away from tying Katie Kuzior (456 - 2002) for the 10th most kills in a single season.
Gabby Brissett is 104 kills away from 500 as a Zip.
Brissett is 42 kills away from 750 career kills.
Brissett is 60 points away from 500 as a Zip.
Jordyn Aeschliman is 9 kills away from 100 as a Zip.

Career-Highs (11/7-11/8)

Gabby Brissett set a career-high in blocks (6, at Bowling Green 11/8/25).
Delaney Gash set a career-high in aces (3, at Bowling Green 11/8/25).
Martina Villani set a career-high in digs (20, at Bowling Green 11/8/25).

Among The Best In The NCAA
The Zips rank 100th in aces per set in the NCAA in aces per set (1.63), 92nd in assists per set (12.18), 7th in total assists (1,340), 45th in total digs (1,551), 7th in total kills (1,438), 32nd in total aces (179) and 78th in total blocks (224).

Individually, Vanessa Del Real ranks 61st in aces per set (.42), 96th in digs per set (4.09) 21st in total aces (44) and 50th in total digs (429). Martina Villani ranks 54th in assists per set (9.73) and 4th in total assists (1,070). Delaney Gash ranks 59th in kills per set (4.01), 20th in total points (461), 83rd in points per set (4.35) and 17th in total kills (425). Chidera Ozoh ranks 32nd in total blocks (119).

Leaders In The MAC
Akron ranks in the top-five in the MAC in total points (2nd - 1841), points per set (2nd - 16.74), hitting % (3rd - .215), fewest opp assists per set (4th - 11.45), total assists (2nd - 1340), assists per set (2nd - 12.18), fewest opp kills (4th - 1367), fewest opp kills per set (4th - 12.43), total kills (2nd - 1438), kills per set (2nd - 13.07), total aces (3rd - 179), and aces per set (3rd - 1.63).

Individually, the Zips see Lyndi Wolf rank 6th in hitting percentage (.313). Delaney Gash ranks 2nd in total kills (425) and kills per set (4.01) while ranking 2nd in total points (461) and points per set (4.35). Martina Villani ranks 2nd in total assists (1070) and assists per set (9.73). Vanessa Del Real ranks 1st in total aces (44) and aces per set (.42), while ranking 3rd in total digs (429) and 2nd in digs per set (4.09). Chidera Ozoh ranks 4th in total blocks (119) and 7th in blocks per set (1.08).

Double-Doubles
Delaney Gash leads the Zips with eight double-doubles after posting a 28-kill, 12-dig performance vs EMU on Oct. 31. Martina Villani has recorded seven, with the most recent coming at Bowling Green on Nov. 8 with a 37-assist, 20-dig performance. Vanessa Del Real has one after recording a 17 dig, 10 assist performance at Youngstown State on Sept. 18.

First Set Success
Akron has taken the first set in 16 matches this season (vs Green Bay, at Cleveland State, vs ETSU, vs Cleveland State, vs Miami (OH), at Ohio, vs Buffalo, at WMU x2, vs NIU x2, at Buffalo, vs EMU x2, at BGSU x2), and have gone 12-4. The Zips have fallen in the first set 11 times and have gone 3-8 in those matches.

Five-Set Thrillers
The Zips have played in 10 five-set matches in 2025 and are 6-4 in those contests. Akron has defeated Green Bay, American,Western Michigan,Northern Illinois, Buffalo and Eastern Michigan while falling to NC State, Miami (OH), Buffalo and Bowling Green.

Last season, the Blue and Gold played in 11 five-set matches and went 2-9 in those contests.

What's Next?
Depending on results from the weekend, the Zips could find themselves traveling to Bowling Green to battle in the Mid-American Conference Volleyball Tournament for the first time since 2019.