Grand Rapids, Mich. – The Saints returned to home court action for the first time since October 5th tonight (Oct. 21) to take on the 23-3 Indiana Tech Warriors. The Warriors managed to sweep AQ earlier this season on September 24th, giving Aquinas plenty of motivation going into the match. Aquinas proceeded to shock IIT, winning the first two sets by scores of 25-21 and 26-24. The Warriors would get a big 25-13 victory in set number three, but it would be Aquinas that would pull off a huge upset after winning set four by a score of 25-19.

AQ snapped its three-match losing streak and improved to 9-19 on the season with a 5-9 WHAC record. The Warriors fall to 23-4 on the year with an 11-4 WHAC record.

The first set started with both sides trading points until a 4-0 run from the Saints got themselves an early 8-4 advantage. The two sides continued to go back-and-forth with AQ slowly growing its lead. This would eventually force IIT to take its first timeout of the set with the score at 14-8.

The timeout would not amount to much as the two sides traded the next 14 points with the score at 21-16 in favor of Aquinas. Ultimately, the visiting side was unable to get a rally started and a kill from Brooke Nicholson would give AQ a big 25-21 victory in the first set.

Another early run for AQ in the second gave AQ another early advantage. Similar to the first set, the two teams would continually trade points back-and-forth with neither side able to establish a run. However, with the score at 16-14 in favor of the home team, the Warriors would go on a 3-0 run to take their first lead of the set since leading 2-0 at the start. AQ would use its first timeout of the set to stop the Warrior momentum.

The second set remained extremely intense with neither side backing down. The two teams traded the next 11 points with Indiana Tech holding a slim 22-21 lead. However, a kill from Kaylin Poole and a pair of errors from the Warriors would put AQ in the driver's seat with a 24-22 lead. Indiana Tech would use a timeout to regroup, and it would be successful as they took the next two points to tie the set and force an Aquinas timeout. However, the second AQ timeout would work as Indiana Tech would commit a pair of errors to give the Saints a 26-24 second set victory.

With a 6-3 advantage, the Saints appeared to be in a position to sweep the Warriors, but IIT would rally with a 14-0 run that forced AQ to use both of its timeouts. With the score at 17-6 in favor of the visiting team, AQ would be too far behind to make a comeback. The Warriors would get a 25-13 victory in the third set.

The Saints quickly put the third set behind them and came out hot in the fourth set. AQ would take a 9-7 lead, but the Warriors would rally with a 4-0 run to take a 12-10 lead. AQ would use its first timeout and this time it would work. The Saints would take the next six of seven points to reclaim a 16-13 lead. From this point, Aquinas could not be stopped. Nicholson slammed down a pair of kills, Peyton Goschka would pick up an ace, and Jenna Lee, Samee Teachworth, and Cassie Sustrich would all pick up kills to take a 22-18 lead. Abbi Perkins would slam home two kills of her own and Jordyn Carlyle would end the set with an ace as the Saints would earn a 25-19 victory in the fourth set.

The two teams would split the statistical battle as Aquinas led in aces (8-4) and blocks (8-7). IIT held the advantage in hitting percentage (.240-.230), assists (48-46), and digs (49-41). Both sides had 51 kills.

Perkins led the team in kill with 14 (.281) while also contributing a block assists and a dig.

Nicholson was the other Saint to post double-digit kills with 13 (.313). In addition to her kills, she added three block assists to her stat line.

Sustrich averaged nearly ten assists per set with 39 on the match. As usual, she did a little bit of everything with five kills, two aces, three block assists, and six digs in addition to her assists.

Aquinas is back in action tomorrow afternoon (Oct. 22) with another home match. This time, the Saints will be taking on the UNOH Racers inside the Sturrus Center. The match is scheduled to begin at 1:00 PM.