Palos, Illinois — The Aquinas women's volleyball team played a Saturday (Aug. 26) afternoon doubleheader at a neutral site: Trinity Christian College in Palos, Illinois. The first match left the Saints with high hopes for the day as they battled it out with William Woods for a 3-1 victory. AQ's second match of the day was against the Olivet Nazarene Tigers. The Saints carried their hard fought momentum and defeated the Tigers 3-1. Aquinas returns home with a 2-0 record for the day, establishing them at a season overall of 5-2.
Aquinas 3, William Woods 1 (23-25, 26-24, 25-21, 29-27)
The first set established the tone for the rest of the match. William Woods would take the first, but Aquinas would battle back and take the next three. Three of the four sets were only won by the two point requirement.
Madison Lawson (12) and Abbi Perkins (11) brought home double digit kills, with Cece Pelak (nine) was a single kill behind the mark. Lauren Chioini and Lydia Harper were walls on the net, bringing home six blocks each. Lydia Harper led the team with assists for the match with a thundering 39. While the AQ defense was pulling its worth, Jordan Carlyle led the Saints with 20 digs, Peyton Goschka added 17, and Julia Schweihofer brought home 16.
Aquinas 3, Olivet Nazarene 1 (25-20, 25-19, 18-25, 25-12)
The Saints used the momentum from their hard fought win over William Woods to continue their winning streak over Olivet Nazarene. Aquinas would take the match in four sets.
Jenna Lee is the only Saint to take home double digit kills (14), while Pelak and Chioini took home nine each. Harper helped the Saints again with another 39 assist match. Aquinas' defense once again proved their worth: Carlyle clocked in 19 digs, while Harper totaled 12, and Schweihofer recorded nine.
The Saints wrap up today's spectacle with a 2-0 finish, leaving them with a 5-2 overall for the season. The team is tentatively back in action in two weeks for the Aquinas/Cornerstone Invite. The invitational will be held in the Sturrus Sports & Fitness Center at Aquinas College on September 8th and 9th, making for a volleyball-filled weekend. Aquinas will compete against the likes of Grace College, Indiana University South Bend, Saint Francis of Illinois, and Mount Vernon Nazarene.
