For the second time this season, the #9 Aquinas men's volleyball team swept Adrian, with the win on Tuesday night (Feb. 4) coming on the Bulldogs' home floor. AQ made quick work of Adrian, winning by scores of 25-17, 25-22, and 25-23.
With the victory, the Saints move to 7-3 on the year and sweep the season series with the Bulldogs. Adrian moves to 7-8 overall in 2020. On Jan. 10 in Grand Rapids, Aquinas also earned a 3-0 victory over Adrian in the Michigan's Men's Volleyball Invitational. AQ is 3-0 all-time against the Bulldogs over the past two seasons of competition.
The Saints were better offensively on Tuesday, posting 44 kills and a .283 hitting percentage to Adrian's .151 attack clip and 31 putaways. The remaining stats were fairly even, with AQ leading in assists (41-27) and blocks (5-2), while Adrian posted a 39-34 edge in digs. Both teams served three aces.
Joshua Boothroyd, the reigning WHAC Attacker of the Week, kept up his strong play with a match-high 16 kills, a .394 hitting percentage, five digs, three block assists, and an ace.
Zane Moothart posted 10 kills, six digs, an ace, and a block.
Ruben Lopez put down seven kills in 17 swings for a .353 attack mark and added five digs.
Daniel De La Rosa notched five kills in nine attempts and hit .444, while supplying three block assists.
Will Donald – this week's WHAC Defender of the Week – totaled four digs, three kills, two blocks, two assists, and an ace. The third WHAC award winner of the week - setter
Colby Elder - handed out 33 assists for the Saints.
Kelsey Yogi picked up a team-best eight digs and
Daniel Soliz chipped in a pair of kills.
AQ raced to a 7-2 lead in the opening set and extended to a 16-8 cushion off a pair of Boothroyd kills and one from Moothart. Adrian pulled within three points at 19-16, but a De La Rosa-Moothart rejection highlighted a three-point run and a 22-16 edge. De La Rosa would team with Boothroyd on back-to-back blocks to finish the set, 25-17.
In set two, Aquinas turned a 9-9 tie into an 18-12 lead. Boothroyd (two), Elder, and Donald all recorded kills during the 9-3 run and Moothart served up an ace. The Bulldogs rallied within two points on seven different occasions, but Soliz and Boothroyd finished the frame with kills and a 25-22 triumph.
Set three was close throughout and the Saints could never pull away, but appeared to take control at 21-16 on a Moothart kill. Lopez and De La Rosa added kills to help AQ reach match point with a 24-20 lead. Adrian tallied the next three points, but Moothart closed the set and match with his 10th kill and a 25-23 win.
AQ heads to Elgin, Ill. this weekend (Feb. 7-8) for four matches at the Judson Invitational. The Saints will match up with Goshen, Rockford, Judson, and a rematch with #4 Missouri Baptist.
