The #16 Aquinas women's volleyball team faced two undefeated non-conference opponents on Friday (Sept. 6) at the Aquinas/Cornerstone Invitational and the Saints nearly upended both teams, but fell by identical 3-2 scores in the two contests. AQ forced a fifth set against Thomas More before falling by a 15-12 final, then forced a fifth set against Indiana Wesleyan, but the Wildcats prevailed by a 15-6 score in the fifth frame.

Aquinas fell to NCAA Division III power Thomas More by scores of 24-26, 22-25, 25-20, 25-21, and 12-15 in the opening match of the two-day tournament at the Sturrus Center. A few hours later, the Saints were topped by an Indiana Wesleyan team that has already defeated the #1 and #2 teams in the NAIA this season. AQ dropped the match by scores of 25-22, 19-25, 22-25, 25-23, and 6-15.

The two losses - which combined for nearly four hours of volleyball - put the Saints at 2-5 on the year. Thomas More was 7-0 after the early victory, while Indiana Wesleyan is 10-0 this season. The matches were remarkably close, as the teams combined for 58 tie scores and 32 lead changes in the two contests.

Against Thomas More, Aquinas tallied more kills (63-58), assists (59-53), and digs (88-84). TMU led in hitting percentage (.179 to .167) and blocks (11-6), while each team recorded nine aces. There were 14 tie scores and eight lead changes in just the first set, which Thomas More won by a 26-24 triumph.

Jackie Rozell led the Saints with 16 kills, while Kylie Christensen added 13 kills and Payton Klein put down 11 kills. Christensen's four blocks led AQ, while Klein added a pair. Both Maddie Ingraham and Meredith Kraus supplied seven kills, with Kraus also tallying 12 digs, five aces, and three block assists.

Kali Crawford passed for 55 assists, while recording eight digs, four kills, and two block assists. Karly Morris picked up a match-high 29 digs. Ally Blackford posted 12 digs and five kills and Sam Vanhouten provided 10 digs. Allie Martin notched nine digs and a pair of aces.

In the defeat to Indiana Wesleyan, the visiting Wildcats held a strong edge offensively with a 65-50 edge in kills and a lead in hitting percentage (.262 to .160). Both teams recorded 10 aces. IWU was on top in digs (81-69) and assists (61-48), while Aquinas nearly doubled the Wildcats in blocks, 12.0 to 6.5.

Klein led AQ with 16 kills and just one error, which did not come until the fifth set. She hit .517 on 29 swings, adding a match-best eight block assists, three aces, and a pair of digs. Christensen also reached double-figures with 10 kills and a .333 attack clip, to go with four blocks (two solo). Blackford and Rozell put down seven kills apiece; Blackford served three aces and Rozell nabbed four block assists.

Morris paced the Saints with 17 digs, while Vanhouten and Kraus each picked up 14 digs. Kraus added five kills, two blocks and an ace. Crawford totaled 39 assists, nine digs, three kills, two aces, and two blocks. Martin totaled nine digs.

AQ is back in the Sturrus Center on Saturday (Sept. 7) against IU-Kokomo and #24 Marian at 1:00 and 3:00 p.m., respectively.