Grand Rapids, Mich. – AQ's three-match homestand concluded tonight (Mar. 5) in the battle of the Saints. AQ took on Siena Heights and fell in four sets as its lone set victory came in the third.

SHU jumps back above .500 with a record of 8-7. Aquinas' rebuilding season continued as the Saints now move to 2-12 this year.
 
Siena Heights 3, Aquinas 1 (25-20, 25-21, 22-25, 25-19)

SHU scored the first five points of the match and never looked back, leading by as much as eight during the set. Kills from Chase Gil, Connor Staats, and Noah Smith-Slosar helped Aquinas break the 20-point threshold, but the visitors from Adrian closed out the set with a five-point win.

Aquinas changed the pace in the second set after falling early. A series of Siena Heights errors and a block-and-kill combo from Smith-Slosar gave AQ an 11-7 advantage. AQ held a slim lead throughout the majority of the set, but the visiting Saints closed the gap late and took the lead. A late four-point run from SHU created a deficit that Aquinas couldn't quite overcome, giving Siena a 2-0 match advantage.

Siena appeared to be on the brink of a sweep in the third set with the score at 18-13. However, a couple of SHU errors and kills from Staats, Smith-Slosar, and Andrew Jones tied the set at 19. The visitors continued to stumble with errors as four errors over the final six points gave AQ a 25-22 third-set victory.

Aquinas started the final set with a small lead, but a six-point run from Siena early proved to be the difference. The Saints made a late push, but SHU held off the late rally for a 25-19 victory.

By the Numbers

The Aquinas Saints hit well today, recording a .256 hitting percentage on 39 kills. The primary difference in the match came on services as SHU recorded 16 aces to AQ's seven.

Staats led the team with 13 kills tonight and three aces to go with his one assist and five digs.

Gil hit very well, recording a .353 hitting percentage with eight kills on 17 attempts. Smith-Slosar ended the contest with five kills and two solo blocks.

Up Next

Aquinas is back on the hardwood this Friday (Mar. 8) with a conference road match against Goshen. The first serve is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.