The #9 Aquinas men's volleyball team tallied a pair of 3-0 sweeps on the opening day of the Judson Invitational in Elgin, Ill. on Friday (Feb. 7), as the Saints made quick work of both Goshen and Rockford. Those victories were the second and third straight wins for AQ, which gives the Saints eight 3-0 triumphs in the 2020 season.
 
Aquinas swept Goshen (3-4) for the second time this season, winning on Friday by scores of 25-18, 25-19, and 25-20. The Saints would follow that up with a dominant sweep of Rockford (0-7) with scores of 25-10, 25-13, and 25-10. After the two wins, AQ is 9-3 on the year.
 
It would be hard for the Saints to be more efficient offensively in the opening win over Goshen, as AQ hit .439 with 36 kills and only seven errors. The Maple Leafs hit just .147 with 26 kills against 16 errors. Aquinas also held a large 9-1 advantage in total blocks. Both teams served five aces and the Saints owned a 21-20 edge in digs.
 
Zane Moothart posted 11 kills without an error in 16 swings for a .688 percentage, while adding seven digs, three block assists, and an ace. Will Donald put away eight kills in 11 swings without an error and hit .727. Donald also supplied five block assists and three digs.
 
Ruben Lopez totaled five kills, three digs, and two block assists, while Joshua Boothroyd provided four kills and two aces. Colby Elder passed for 30 assists and also recorded three kills in three attempts, three block assists, two digs, and an ace. 
 
Daniel De La Rosa tallied three kills and three block assists and Matthew Glass chipped in two kills and a solo block. Josh Evers picked up five digs and served an ace.
 
Aquinas was nearly as strong offensively against Rockford, as the Saints recorded a .379 hitting percentage and 29 kills. For the second match in a row, AQ committed just seven hitting errors. Defensively, the Saints were just as good; not only did they lead in digs (30-18) and total blocks (6.5 to 1.0), but AQ forced Rockford into a -.138 hitting percentage (nine kills, 18 errors).
 
Glass totaled a team-best seven kills and hit .455 to go with two aces, and a block, while Sean Kelley supplied six kills in just 12 swings for a .417 mark. Daniel Soliz and Will Duellman each put down four kills and an ace, with Soliz adding six digs and Duellman notching five digs and three total blocks.
 
De La Rosa provided four total blocks (two solo) and two kills in three swings. Matthew Richmond dished out 19 assists, along with two aces and a kill, while Alex Drogemuller picked up a team-high 11 digs. Evers and Kelsey Yogi each put away two kills.
 
AQ is back in action on Saturday (Feb. 8), facing host school Judson at 10:00 a.m. and #3 Missouri Baptist at 3:00 p.m. Last Saturday (Feb. 1), the Saints fell to then-#4 Missouri Baptist in a five-set heartbreaker at the Molten Invitational in Des Moines, Iowa.