Grand Rapids, Mich. - It was not easy, but the Aquinas women's volleyball team topped visiting Lawrence Tech on Friday night (Nov. 3) inside the Sturrus Center. While the final score read 3-0 in favor of the Saints, the set scores of 25-20, 25-23, and 25-23 proved it was a tight battle throughout the Senior Night contest.
Aquinas improves to 29-7 and closes the regular season one win shy of the seventh 30-win campaign in school history. The Saints finish the regular season with a 16-4 WHAC record and will be the #2 seed in the conference tournament, which begins next Wednesday.
More than half (15 of 29) of AQ's wins have come in the minimum three sets, including the sweep of Lawrence Tech (12-11, 10-9 WHAC). Aquinas won six of seven sets against LTU this year.
The Saints were on top in all statistical categories and held a 40-26 advantage in kills and a 10-5 edge in aces. While AQ hit .116, Lawrence Tech struggled to the tune of a .085 attack clip. Aquinas' defense (13 blocks, 54 digs) definitely played a part in that, while forcing LTU into 17 hitting errors.
After six seniors were honored prior to the match in a special Senior Night ceremony, Lawrence Tech proved it was focused and ready, holding leads of 6-1, 9-3, and 11-4. AQ chipped away at the deficit and pulled within 14-12 on a Chloe Hogarth ace. It wasn't until a 4-0 run that the Saints tied the set at 18-18. Ryleigh Blough and Jenna Lee combined for a pair of blocks, Blough and Abbi Perkins added another, and Perkins delivered a kill during the four-point surge.
LTU went in front briefly at 19-18 before the Saints registered four straight kills: three from Perkins and one from Claire Phillips to take a 22-19 edge. Aquinas finished off the set on a Jordyn Carlyle ace and another Perkins kill.
The teams volleyed multi-point runs back and forth in the second set, but Lawrence Tech held a 19-16 late in the frame. It was still 22-19 when AQ took control. It started with a Lydia Harper-Samee Teachworth rejection that began a set-ending 6-1 run, with the only point for the Blue Devils coming on a Saints' error. Jeralyn Hoppes provided three of the final four kills and clinched the set, 25-23.
After Lawrence Tech led 14-10 in the third set, Aquinas tied the score at 15-15 with two aces from Jennifer Johnson and another from Carlyle. The tide turned in AQ's favor with back-to-back kills from Hoppes and Harper; a Blough-Harper block made it 22-20. LTU pulled within a point three different times, but the senior Phillips fittingly ended the Senior Night match with the winning kill.
Perkins led all players with 13 kills and four block assists, while Harper recorded 27 assists, eight kills, seven digs, and four block assists. Hoppes came off the bench to put down seven kills in just 12 swings, hitting .500 in the match.
Blough notched eight blocks (one solo) and Teachworth tallied five rejections, two of the solo variety. Hogarth served up four of AQ's 10 aces and tied Johnson for a team-high nine digs. Johnson added three aces and Carlyle provided eight digs, six assists, and two aces. Peyton Goschka collected seven digs and an ace.
It was the final regular season home match for Phillips, Blough, Goschka, Carlyle, Teachworth, and Perkins. The Saints are 15-3 at home this season and will play at least one more home match.
The #2 seed in next week's WHAC Tournament, Aquinas will host the yet-to-be determined #7 seed inside the Sturrus Center in the quarterfinals. More info will be posted as it becomes available.
