GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Aquinas men's volleyball team showed resilience on the road Tuesday night, grinding out a thrilling five-set victory over Goshen College at Ruth Gunden Gym. The Saints built an early two-set lead before withstanding a Maple Leafs comeback, ultimately closing out the match with a strong fifth set.

Aquinas 3, Goshen 2 (25-23, 25-21, 20-25, 20-25, 15-9)

The win was a crucial bounce-back moment for Aquinas after a tough home loss to Mount Vernon Nazarene on Saturday, where the Saints let two match points slip away in the third set before falling in five. Facing a similar scenario against Goshen, Aquinas refused to let history repeat itself. This time, the Saints dug deep, found a way to finish, and secured the victory.

Connor Staats led the charge with a dominant performance, tallying 27 kills and 29 total points while hitting at a .259 clip. His offensive firepower gave the Saints the edge in crucial moments. Kapelie Moala also made a significant impact with 10 kills and a .304 hitting percentage. Setter Julian Fira orchestrated the offense efficiently, distributing 40 assists and adding two service aces.

Aquinas came out strong, battling through multiple lead changes in the opening sets. In the first, the Saints capitalized on late Goshen errors to claim a 25-23 victory. They followed that with an even sharper offensive effort in the second, hitting .429 as a team en route to a 25-21 win.

However, Goshen refused to go quietly. Led by Ben Koop's 16 kills and Andrea Biffi's .462 hitting percentage, the Maple Leafs stormed back, taking the third and fourth sets by identical 25-20 margins to force a decisive fifth set.

With momentum up for grabs, Aquinas delivered when it mattered most. The Saints' defense tightened, holding Goshen to a negative hitting percentage (-.118) in the final frame. Alexander Rodriguez was instrumental at the net, recording three crucial blocks. Aquinas controlled the pace and executed in key moments, securing a 15-9 win to improve to 4-10 overall and 1-5 in conference play.

Coaches Comments

Head Coach Michael Crane was pleased with his team's response after a similar situation on Saturday ended in disappointment. "We started strong, but credit to Goshen for battling back. I'm proud of how we responded in the fifth set and found a way to finish. Unlike Saturday, we closed out this match, but we still have to do, we can play better."

By the Numbers

• Connor Staats: 27 kills, 8 digs, 29 points
• Alexander Rodriguez: 6 kills, 6 blocks, 10.5 points
• Blocks: Aquinas 14, Goshen 12
• Digs: Aquinas 58, Goshen 40
• Service Performance: AQ 6 aces, 13 service errors; Goshen 8 aces, 21 service errors

Up Next
The Saints return home on Thursday to face Olivet at 7:00 p.m. at the Sturrus Sports & Fitness Center. Coach Michael Crane's squad will look to build on this momentum and turn it into a winning streak.