Grand Rapids, Mich. — Conference games are always tough, but facing a top rival—especially one ranked No. 13 nationally—leaves little room for error. On Tuesday, the Aquinas Saints took on Cornerstone University in their WHAC opener, but despite flashes of strong play, the Golden Eagles proved too dominant, sweeping the Saints in three sets.

Cornerstone 3, Aquinas 0 (25-17, 25-22, 25-17)

While Aquinas continues to show growth, the stats reveal areas for improvement. The Saints posted a .224 kill percentage, tallying 26 kills with 11 errors on 67 attempts. In contrast, Cornerstone recorded 40 kills with a .390 percentage. The Eagles also outperformed Aquinas from the service line, delivering eight aces to AQ's three. Passing also played a key role, with Cornerstone recording 36 assists compared to Aquinas' 23.

Defensive Effort & Key Performances

The Saints showed improvement in their defensive play, particularly in digs. Julian Fira and Colin Ilagan each with five digs, and Gage Dinges adding another three.

On the attack, Connor Staats led the Saints with a dominant 16 kills, two aces, and one block, totaling 19 points. Kapelie Moala and Alexander Rodriguez each contributed four kills and two blocks for Coach Michael Crane's squad.

Coach Crane's Take

After the game, Coach Michael Crane acknowledged his team's struggles with consistency: "We were not very consistent tonight. When we play consistent, we are good. When we don't, we are not. You can't do that against a top-ten team and expect to win."

By the Numbers

• Service Struggles: 33 combined service errors (Aquinas 16, Cornerstone 17)
• Block Battle: Cornerstone out-blocked AQ 11-2
• Standout Performance: Connor Staats accounted for 19 of Aquinas' total points

Up Next

The Saints will look to bounce back at home on Friday, February 14, when they host Rio Grande at 7:00 p.m. at Sturrus Sports & Fitness Center. This Valentine's Day match-up will be a rematch from two weeks ago, when the Saints faced Rio Grande in their tournament.