Grand Rapids, Mich - The No. 12-ranked Saints extended their winning streak with a commanding sweep over Defiance. The Yellow Jackets put up a fight in the first set, but were unable to keep pace with Aquinas in the following two. After this victory, the Saints continued their dominance with another sweep, this time against Kuyper. This marks Aquinas' 11th consecutive win and their third straight sweep. AQ is now 19-1 (5-0)
Aquinas 3, Defiance 0 (25-23, 25-17, 25-14)
The opening set was a back-and-forth battle, with Aquinas falling behind early as Defiance went on a five-point run to take a 5-2 lead. A service ace by Lydia Harper and a kill from Lauren Chioini quickly tied the match at 5-5, but the Yellow Jackets responded with another surge to go up 10-6. Both teams traded points throughout the set, and after a service ace from Julia Schweihofer, the Saints found themselves trailing 22-20. However, a kill by Samee Teachworth ignited a strong comeback for the Saints. Jenna Lee delivered two clutch service aces, while Mallory Keller added two key kills to close out the set 25-23.
Aquinas started the second set on a strong note, taking control with an early 7-2 lead. The Saints continued dominating the net and Audrey Gil coined a service ace to put AQ at an 11-4 lead. Defiance made a last stitch effort at the end of the set but ultimately fell to the Saints 25-17.
In the third and final set, Aquinas raced out to an early lead, fueled by kills from Teachworth and Harper. The Saints continued to dominate, with kills from Keller and Lee extending the lead to 12-5. Aquinas maintained control throughout, closing out the set 25-14 as Lauren Chioini and Keller each added a kill, and Bella Hommes delivered two service aces to seal the victory.
By the Numbers
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Kill leaders - Keller (15), Chioni (10)
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Ace leaders - Hommes (3), Lee (3)
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Block leader- Chioini (3)
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Harper had a .625 kill percentage
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This is the first time AQ Women's Volleyball had played Defiance
Aquinas 3, Kuyper 0 (25-9, 25-5, 25-11)
Aquinas kept their momentum going with a second sweep of the day, defeating Kuyper. The Cougars kept pace early, but a kill from Reagan Doctor, followed by two kills from Arianna Black and two service aces from Taylor Reha, gave the Saints an 11-6 advantage. Aquinas then found their rhythm, scoring nine consecutive points to close out the first set 25-9. The run included two kills from Jeralyn Hoppes, along with single kills from Maddie Burke, Mel Beachnau, and Jayla Martin, capped off by three service aces from Cece Pelak.
The Saints roared to life in the second set, quickly jumping out to a 5-0 lead. While Kuyper managed to put a few points on the board, Aquinas responded with an 11-point run. Tess Griffith contributed two service aces, while Audrey Gil added three kills. The Saints closed out the set in dominant fashion, finishing with six consecutive points, capped by a service ace from Sarah Curtis, for a commanding 25-5 victory.
The third set was swift as the Saints went on a nine-point run to extend their lead to 19-7. This dominant stretch was highlighted by four service aces from Reha and three kills from Beachnau. Aquinas maintained their momentum, and Black sealed the set with a kill, closing out the contest with a 25-11 victory.
By the Numbers
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Kill leaders - Beachnau (7), Gil (6), Doctor (5)
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Ace leaders - Reha (60), Pelak (4), Griffith (2)
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Block leaders - Burke (2), Gil (2)
Up Next
The Saints will return to play Wednesday (Sep. 25) to take on Cornerstone for 90's night at 7 PM.
