Grand Rapids, Mich. — While we won't know until next week whether Phil the Groundhog sees his shadow, the start of men's volleyball is a sure sign that spring is on its way. The Aquinas Saints kicked off their season in thrilling fashion Tuesday night at the Sturrus Sports & Fitness Center, battling back to claim a 3-1 comeback victory over Adrian College.

Aquinas 3, Adrian 1 (21-25, 25-18, 25-23, 25-23)

It's not uncommon for season openers to feature some early-season mistakes, but what's rare is seeing a team correct those mistakes within the same match. Aquinas struggled with service errors, mis-hits, and miscommunication in the first set, allowing Adrian to claim a 25-21 victory. However, a late timeout from Head Coach Michael Crane helped refocus the Saints. Though they couldn't rally to take the set, the shift in momentum was evident.

A clear example of improved focus came early in the second set. With AQ leading 8-4, a call originally in the Saints' favor was overturned, allowing Adrian to tie the score at 8-8. Instead of getting frustrated, the Saints doubled down and responded with a dominant stretch. Key kills from Connor Staats, Zachary Nosky, and Julian Fira propelled Aquinas to a 25-18 win, leveling the match at 1-1.

Back-and-Forth Battle in the Final Sets

The third set was a tightly contested seesaw battle, featuring five lead changes and both teams squandering three-point advantages. Another controversial point reversal went against Aquinas, but the Saints responded with a momentum-shifting block from Nosky and Fira. Then, at set point, Connor Staats delivered a powerful kill to seal a 25-23 victory, putting AQ up 2-1 in the match.

The drama continued in the fourth set. Leading 17-13, Aquinas saw Adrian go on a five-point run to take the lead. Unwilling to let the match go to a deciding fifth set, the Saints battled back, tying it at 22 after another Staats kill. Staats followed with two more crucial kills, setting up match point. This time, it was Julian Fira who sealed the victory, hammering home the final point for another 25-23 win and a 3-1 triumph for the Saints.

Coach Crane's Take

Now in his sixth season leading the Saints, Head Coach Michael Crane praised his team's resilience,"We just talked about all the hard work we put in during two-a-days, plus some early-season jitters with so many freshmen playing. We told them to focus on the next point and let us coaches worry about the bad calls. We need to clean up our blocking—too many defenders were diving in front of each other—but we should be good to go in 24 to 48 hours."

By the Numbers

• The teams combined for 35 service errors (AQ: 19, Adrian: 16).
• Connor Staats led Aquinas with 21 points and 19 kills.
• Aquinas recorded 10 service aces, while Adrian finished with four.

Up Next

The Saints hit the road this weekend for tournament play at the Rio Grande Invitational in Ohio, where they will compete in four matches. Their first contest is Friday at 11:00 a.m. against Life University.

Coach Crane is eager to see his team return to action, "We'll work on our perimeter defense, and I expect similar results this weekend."