Oct. 24, 2015 Box Score | Box Score (PDF) 
TOLEDO, Ohio -- The Miami University volleyball team rebounded from Friday's setback against Ball State with a 3-1 (25-16, 25-15, 16-25, 25-20) victory over Toledo on Saturday. The RedHawks improve to 15-8 overall and 7-3 in the Mid-American Conference. The Rockets fall to 4-19 overall and 1-9 in the MAC.
Outside hitters junior Maris Below and sophomore Olivia Rusek powered the Miami offense Saturday evening. Below recorded a season-high 16 kills and also contributed seven digs and two blocks (two solo and one assisted) on the night. She hit .310 for the match. Rusek finished with 11 kills, eight digs and three solo blocks. She made only two errors on 25 attempts for a .360 attack percentage.
After giving up the first point of the match, the RedHawks scored seven in a row to take a 7-1 lead in set one. During that run, Rusek and junior middle hitter Paige Hill each had kills, while Below put down two service aces. Miami continued to ace Toledo, as junior setter Krista Brakauskas had one and Rusek recorded two in row to help push the advantage to 10 at 14-4. Thanks to three more kills from Below, the lead grew as large as 14 at 23-9. With the score 24-12, it was realized that Miami had been playing out of rotation for several points. That resulted in the RedHawks losing a couple of points that had been previously earned and made the score 22-14. That did not seem to bother them as senior middle hitter Jenny Ingle and Below each recorded a kill to help finish off a 25-16 win.
Toledo opened up a 9-5 advantage to begin set two. Rusek recorded a kill to put Miami back on serve. The `Hawks then scored the next seven in a row off of Rusek's serve to take a 13-9 lead. Below recorded two kills and a block during that stretch. The Rockets closed to within three at 13-16, but two kills from Hill off assists from freshman setter Mackenzie Zielinski helped MU get back in control at 22-15. A kill and a block by Rusek, followed by a Toledo attack error gave the RedHawks a 25-15 victory.
Below had three kills, while Rusek had two, but Miami found itself tied with the Rockets 10-10 after 20 points in set three. Tied at 12, an 8-0 run by Toledo put it in control at 20-12. Hill and sophomore right side hitter Katie Tomasic tried to get the `Hawks back into with kills, but the deficit was too much to overcome as UT took a 25-16 win.
The Rockets held a small lead throughout a large portion of the first half of set four. Trailing 10-12, two kills from Below began the Miami comeback. The RedHawks took a 14-12 advantage before Toledo retied the score at 14. A 6-2 run by MU capped by a kill from Below off an assist from Brakauskas made it 20-16 in favor of the Red and White. Ingle recorded back-to-back kills to give Miami match point at 24-16. The Rockets fought it off three times, but Ingle put down one last kill to finish off a 25-20 victory and give the RedHawks a 3-1 win in the match.
Ingle finished the match with seven kills and a .600 attack percentage. Zielinski had 26 assists and seven digs, while Brakauskas finished with 16 assists and seven digs. Sophomore libero Maeve McDonald led Miami with 18 digs. The RedHawks hit .241 for the match, while holding Toledo to a .151 attack percentage.
Miami returns home next weekend with a pair of key MAC matches against two of the conference leaders. On Friday, the RedHawks take on Ohio at 7 p.m. Miami then faces Kent State on Saturday at 5 p.m. Both matches will air live on ESPN3, Steve Baker and Lisa Dankovich will have the call.