Fort Wayne, Ind. - One day after clinching a spot in the WHAC Championship match and a berth to the 2023 NAIA National Tournament, the Aquinas women's volleyball team was unable to continue the magic, falling at (RV) Indiana Tech in the tournament final. The top-seeded and host Warriors pulled out a closer-than-it-looked 3-0 sweep by scores of 25-21, 25-23, and 25-23.
Saturday's match-up was a contest of the top two teams in the conference, as Indiana Tech won the regular season title and Aquinas finished as league runner-up. IT won for the third time in as many meetings over the Saints in 2023. Both teams will advance to the NAIA National Tournament, with more information to come early next week.
Aquinas is 31-8 after the tournament, while the Warriors are 31-4.
The Saints jumped out to an early 4-1 lead in the first set after kills from Jenna Lee and Lauren Chioini, followed by a Jennifer Johnson ace. Indiana Tech pulled in front at 13-10 and 16-12 before Abbi Perkins smashed a kill and Samee Teachworth added consecutive putaways to make it 16-15. Leading 18-17, IT scored four of the next five points to open up a 22-18 cushion. The teams traded points the rest of the set, with three Warriors kills helping to end the frame at 25-21.
In set two, the teams were tied at 10-10 before a four-point IT run gave the home team the edge. Aquinas notched kills from Chioini and Teachworth and tied the score again at 16-16. A kill from Perkins and a combined block from Chioini and Lydia Harper put AQ in front, 20-19. After Chioini's kill made it 21-20 in the Saints' favor, Indiana Tech scored three straight points to regain a 23-21 advantage. Harper responded with a kill and Johnson served another ace to knot the score at 23-all. However, an IT kill and an AQ error allowed the Warriors to escape with the two-point victory.
Aquinas was in front in set three, 5-4, before Indiana Tech bounced back and opened a 12-8 cushion. Two Warrior errors brought Aquinas within two points at 12-10, but IT used a five-point run to open a commanding 17-10 edge. Naturally, the Saints fought back and pulled within a point at 21-20 after kills from Teachworth and Harper. Moments later, Perkins added a kill and the Warriors committed a hitting error, again tying the score at 23-23 - identical to the second set. Indiana Tech, however, scored the final two points of the set and prevailed in the match with the 3-0 sweep.
IT hit .179 with 33 kills, while Aquinas posted a .154 attack mark and 38 kills. The Saints actually led the Warriors in kills, assists (35-29), digs (42-39), aces (5-3), and blocks (4-2). In such a tight match, though, AQ's 22 hitting errors (compared to Indiana Tech's 16 miscues) and 13 service errors proved crucial.
Teachworth led AQ with 10 kills and a pair of blocks, while Chioini added eight kills and two blocks. Harper recorded 25 assists, eight digs, and seven kills in just nine attempts.
Perkins totaled five kills and four digs and Lee chipped in four kills. Jordyn Carlyle picked up a team-high 11 digs, while Peyton Goschka added seven digs. Johnson (three) and Julia Schweihofer (two) recorded all five of AQ's aces.
The Saints will advance to NAIA Nationals for the first time since 2018. More information will be posted when it becomes available.
