Sylvania, Ohio - Less than 20 hours after outlasting Siena Heights on Friday night (Sept. 15) in Adrian, the (RV) Aquinas women's volleyball team traveled to Ohio and made quick work of the hometown Lourdes Gray Wolves. AQ earned its fourth consecutive win on Saturday afternoon (Sept. 14) with a straight set triumph by scores of 25-23, 25-20, and 25-15.
The sixth sweep of the year gives Aquinas a 13-3 overall record, topping the Saints' 2022 season win total. AQ remains unbeaten in WHAC play at 3-0. Lourdes drops to 1-8 overall and 1-3 in league action.
It was a much-needed sweep for the Saints after a five-set battle on Friday night, which capped off with a 15-11 AQ win in the fifth frame at SHU. There would be less trouble on Saturday afternoon, with Aquinas dominating the statsheet.
AQ hit a strong .321 offensively and doubled Lourdes in kills, 48-24. Naturally, the Saints led in assists (46-24), but were better defensively in digs (63-42) and blocks (7-2). Lourdes hit just .053 on Saturday with nearly as many hitting errors (18) as kills (24).
The first set was tight, including a 21-21 deadlock late in the frame. A kill from Lauren Chioini was followed by a Lydia Harper ace. When Chioini and Abbi Perkins combined for a block, the Saints led 24-21 and served for set point. Lourdes responded with consecutive points, but a Jenna Lee kill ended the closest set of the evening at 25-23.
Another Harper ace, a Perkins kill, and another Chioini-Perkins rejection gave AQ a quick 5-0 in the second stanza. Lee, Perkins, Michelle Domey, and Peyton Goschka all recorded kills as the Saints ran the score to a 13-5 advantage. Aquinas kept the Gray Wolves at distance the rest of the set, with a pair of kills from Lee late in the set helped AQ claim the set victory.
The Saints held an 11-7 edge in the third before a 6-0 run from Lourdes put the home team in front, 13-11. AQ bounced back by scoring the next nine points, which started with back-to-back-to-back kills from Perkins, all assisted by Harper. Jennifer Johnson's strong serving was on display during the 9-0 surge, which saw Perkins tally five kills and a solo block. Harper and Goschka put down consecutive kills to earn the 25-15 win.
Perkins showed why she is the reigning WHAC Offensive Player of the Week, totaling 15 kills and a .370 hitting percentage. Lee finished with 10 kills and just one error for a .391 attack clip, while Samee Teachworth delivered seven kills and only one error, hitting .375 in the match.
Harper dished 39 assists, collected nine digs, and put down six kills in eight attempts. Jordyn Carlyle and Harper each served a pair of aces, while Carlyle picked up a match-high 21 digs. Domey chipped in five kills and Cece Pelak added eight digs.
Aquinas continues its road swing on Wednesday (Sept. 20), though the short trip across town is much shorter than the weekend trek to Siena Heights and Lourdes. The Saints head to crosstown rival Cornerstone for a 7:00 p.m. showdown with the Golden Eagles.
