Grand Rapids, Mich. - The Aquinas women's volleyball team earned its second win in as many tries against crosstown rival Cornerstone on Wednesday night (Oct. 18), as the Saints outlasted CU by a 3-1 final. After sweeping the Golden Eagles on their home court last month, AQ earned the four-set victory over Cornerstone inside the Sturrus Center by scores of 22-25, 25-16, 25-20, and 25-23.
Aquinas has now won a season-best nine matches in a row; the Saints also have separate seven and six-match win streaks, as well. Overall, AQ is 24-4 on the season and 12-1 in WHAC play, just one win behind Indiana Tech in the conference standings. Cornerstone falls to 11-13 overall and 6-8 in league action.
The last time Aquinas took both regular season meetings over the Golden Eagles was during the 2010 season. AQ also defeated Cornerstone during that year's WHAC Tournament.
On Wednesday, Cornerstone came out with a strong first set, totaling 11 kills without an error for a .355 hitting percentage. The score was tied at 17-all before CU rattled off four straight points. Another 3-0 run gave the visitors a 24-18 advantage. Aquinas rallied back with kills from Abbi Perkins, back-to-back aces from Jennifer Johnson, and a rare but terrific kill from libero Jordyn Carlyle. It was now 24-22, but a Saints error gave Cornerstone the opening frame.
After an 11-kill, zero-error first set, CU managed 11 kills but 10 errors in set two. Aquinas led 16-14 but used a 9-2 run to pull away and even the match at one set apiece. Lydia Harper, Lauren Chioini, and Michelle Domey all recorded kills during the surge, while Harper and Samee Teachworth added a big block early in the run.
Aquinas scored five consecutive points to turn a 7-4 deficit into a 9-7 advantage, with two kills from Perkins, one from Domey, and a Chioini-Perkins block being the featured plays in that swing. Julia Schweihofer notched an ace, Domey supplied a solo rejection, and Jeralyn Hoppes came off the bench to contribute a kill and a solo block on consecutive points to make it 16-13. It was as close as the Golden Eagles would come in the set, as kills from Teachworth, Hoppes, and Harper finished the frame at 25-20. AQ hit .270 or better for the third straight set, totaling 16 kills and just six errors.
The crucial fourth set was all Aquinas early, as Carlyle served up back-to-back-to-back aces for the 9-3 cushion. It was a 10-4 AQ lead before Cornerstone responded with five consecutive points and tied the score at 14-14. The visitors even surged ahead to a 20-17 edge, but CU committed five attack errors in a row; two of which were blocks by Jenna Lee and Chioini and the other a solo rejection from Perkins.
AQ led 22-20, but Cornerstone scored the next three points for the 23-22 edge. Cece Pelak's kill evened the score and the combination of Perkins and Teachworth put down back-to-back combined rejections to end the match in the Saints' favor. Aquinas forced CU into a statline of 10 kills and 10 errors in the fourth set.
Overall, the Saints hit .207 with 56 kills, while Cornerstone notched 43 kills and a .122 attack clip. Aquinas owned a large 10-3 advantage in service aces and led the visitors in digs, 65-52. Carlyle and Chloe Hogarth had three aces each, while Schweihofer and Johnson added two apiece. Hogarth's 17 digs led all players, while Carlyle picked up 15 digs.
Perkins posted a match-high 14 kills and five total blocks. Chioini (.438, three blocks) and Teachworth (.389, five blocks) each recorded nine kills. Harper neared a rare triple-double with 43 assists, eight digs, and seven kills. Lee chipped in five kills and three block assists, while Hoppes and Domey added four kills apiece.
The Saints play arguably their toughest conference match of the season, heading to conference leader Indiana Tech this Friday (Oct. 20) in Fort Wayne. The teams are a combined 25-2 in WHAC play. On Sept. 23 in Grand Rapids, IT topped AQ by a 3-0 score, although the incredible third set saw the visitors prevail by a 33-31 final.
