Grand Rapids, Mich. - No. 12 Aquinas Women's Volleyball team continues to dominate the WHAC in its victory over UM-Dearborn. The Saints swept the Wolverines to advance their record to 23-1 (8-0). Mallory Keller claimed her 1,000th career kill in the first set of tonight's (Oct. 2) win.
Aquinas 3, UM-Dearborn 0 (25-17, 25-20, 25-23)
Samee Teachworth got the Saints rolling in the opening set with the first kill, quickly followed by a strike from Mallory Keller to tie the score at 2-2. The set remained tightly contested as both teams traded points until Aquinas pulled ahead with three consecutive kills by Teachworth, Keller, and Lydia Harper, taking a 9-7 lead. UM-Dearborn responded with their own three-point run to grab a 14-12 advantage. However, Angelia Cutts and Lauren Chioini stopped the rally with a big block. A service ace from Julia Schweihofer, followed by another kill from Cutts, shifted the momentum back to the Saints, who took a 16-14 lead. Aquinas then went on a dominant five-point run, with kills from Teachworth and Jenna Lee, to extend their lead to 22-16. Keller finished the set strong, laying down two kills to secure the 25-17 victory.
In the second set, Teachworth and Keller made their presence felt early, combining for a block to give Aquinas a quick 1-0 lead. Cutts added another kill, and a service ace from Chloe Hogarth pushed the lead to 8-4. The Wolverines fought back with a four-point surge, turning the tide to take a 15-14 lead. Despite the pressure, the Saints regrouped and regained control. Schweihofer's service ace capped off a late run as Aquinas closed out the set 25-20.
The Saints once again jumped out to an early 3-1 lead in the third set, fueled by a kill from Chioini and a service ace from Bella Hommes. The Wolverines mounted a comeback, rallying to take an 11-9 lead. However, a series of UMD errors and two more kills from Keller swung the momentum back to Aquinas, giving them a 15-12 advantage. Chioini's kill and a service ace from Harper pushed the lead to 17-13. In the end, Cutts sealed the match with a decisive kill, clenching the set 25-23 and securing the sweep for the Saints.
By the Numbers
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Keller claimed her 1,000th career kill and led the Saints with 16 kills in the sweep
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Teachworth dominated at the net, laying down 11 kills while hitting an impressive .714
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Aquinas dominated the blocks, led by Teachworth (6), Cutts (5), and Chioini (4).
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Hommes earned 12 digs and two service aces. She is second in the WHAC for aces per set, trailing the number one spot by just .01.
Up Next
The Saints will host a tri-match on Friday (Oct. 4) against Bethel at 3 p.m. followed by a 7 p.m. match against Judson.
