GRAND RAPIDS, MI – The (RV) Aquinas College women's volleyball team continued its impressive start to the season, defeating Madonna University 3-1 to kick off the start of conference play. With this win, the Saints improved to a stellar 10-1 record, 1-0 in WHAC conference play
(RV) Aquinas 3, Madonna 1 (25-17, 19-25, 25-13, 26-24)
The Saints set the tone early in the match and were aggressive on the attack. Aquinas had an exceptional nine-point run that put Madonna on its back foot, pushing the score to 19-12. This run saw four kills by Mallory Keller, single kills from Lauren Chioini, Lydia Harper, Jenna Lee, and a big service Ace from Bella Hommes. Chioini was able to help the Saints secure this set with three kills to secure this victory 25-17. The Saints attack was precise on the night, seeing only two errors this entire set.
Madonna responded strongly in the second set, finding momentum through more consistent attacking and capitalizing on some unforced errors from Aquinas. Keller started the Saints offense strong, having the first three kills tying the score 3-3. The Crusaders were able to keep chipping away, and went on a few three-point runs late in the set. AQ wasn't able to rebound from this and Madonna took the set 25-19.
Aquinas roared back in the third set, posting a 5-1 lead with more kills from Keller and Chioini paired with a service ace from Hommes. Madonna was able to grab a few of their own points before AQ owned the attack once again, going unanswered for seven-points to have a monopolizing lead of 20-8. Errors from the Crusaders, a huge solo block from Samee Teachworth and kills from Keller and Teachworth helped the Saints keep their energy flowing. The Saints dominated from start to finish, taking the set 25-13.
Both teams battled hard for the final set of the night, trading points in a back-and-forth affair. Hommes coined her third ace of the night to gain the Saints a 3-2 lead. The Crusaders were able to capitalize on some offense errors from AQ and took the lead 12-9. This lead didn't last long before Aquinas kicked it into gear and went on a six-point run with kills from Keller, Teachworth, and Harper. Once again MU fought back and went on their own four-point run to secure a tie game 17-17. Madonna tried to force a fifth set by stepping up their defensive play, but Harper's pinpoint setting and Teachworth's timely blocks helped the Saints hold off Madonna's late surge. Aquinas secured a narrow 26-24 win to close out the match.
By the Numbers
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Chioini recorded a career high of 15 kills in tonight's match up with a killer .583
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Teachworth was also a force at the net, adding 7 kills and 4 blocks.
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Hommes anchored the defense with a team-high 16 digs, and added 6 service aces
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Harper put up 41 assists, eight kills, and four digs
- Keller led the team with 19 kills on 57 total attacks.
Up Next
The Saints will be back in action this weekend (Sept. 6-7) to compete in the Aquinas/Cornerstone Invitational. AQ will kick off its weekend on Friday with a 3:00 PM bout against the Indiana University-South Bend Titans inside the Sturrus Sports and Fitness Center.
