Grand Rapids, Mich. – The 2025 Aquinas men's volleyball team has shown clear growth throughout the season, improving with each match. Friday night at the Sturrus Sports & Fitness Center marked Senior Night—and while the performance was far from perfect, it was yet another thrilling display. In the end, it took five grueling sets, but the Saints outlasted Goshen in a heart-pounding finish.

Aquinas 3, Goshen 2 (25-19, 23-25, 25-15, 23-25, 17-15)

Aquinas came out firing in the opening set, capitalizing on early Goshen miscues and big swings from Jaiden Wallace and Sawyer Frystak to jump out to a quick 4-0 lead. The Saints' front line made its presence felt, with Wallace and Frystak teaming up for a block that set the defensive tone. Setter Avery Laforce connected cleanly with his hitters, highlighted by a key kill from Wallace and a pinpoint ace from Connor Staats, as AQ cruised to a 25-19 win.

Goshen answered in a tight Set 2 behind the offense of Alessandro Olgiati and Andrea Biffi. Despite timely attacks from Staats and Frystak, Aquinas couldn't keep pace late, falling 25-23 in a set that featured 10 ties and five lead changes.

The Saints bounced back with authority in Set 3, delivering their most dominant performance of the night. Staats caught fire with five kills, while Laforce continued to orchestrate the offense with precision. On the defensive end, Jonathan Collins and Zachary Nosky combined for a crucial block that shifted momentum as AQ held Goshen to a .056 hitting percentage en route to a 25-15 win.

Set 4 mirrored the back-and-forth nature of Set 2. Despite two aces from Callahan Schwartz and consistent service pressure, the Saints couldn't pull away. Goshen found just enough holes in the defense to grind out another narrow 25-23 victory, forcing a decisive fifth set.

Set 5 was nothing short of electric. With both teams trading points in a nail-biting finale, the score stood knotted at 15-15. That's when Staats took over. The junior hammered a kill to give Aquinas a one-point edge. On the next rally, Andrew Jones delivered a perfect assist that Staats crushed to seal the 17-15 win and spark a raucous Saints celebration.

With the win, Aquinas improves to 9-16 overall and 4-10 in WHAC play. The Saints have now won two in a row and three of their last four.

Inside the Numbers

• Connor Staats: 20 kills, 3 aces, 6 blocks, 11 digs, 26.5 points
• Callahan Schwartz: 23 assists, 3 aces, 15 digs
• Zachary Nosky: 5 kills, 1 ace, 8 blocks, 4 digs, 10 points
• Ace is the Place: Aquinas out-served Goshen with 11 aces to their 7

Coach's Comments
Head Coach Michael Crane was pleased with his team's resilience and the chance to celebrate the seniors with a win.

"We've been waiting to play two straight days of good volleyball. We know we can play better, but tonight we executed and got an important win on Senior Night."

Up Next
Following their final home match of the season, the AQ men's volleyball team heads on the road for their final two regular season contests. The Saints travel to Lourdes next Friday for a 7:00 PM match, then face Siena Heights on Saturday at 3:00 PM. For more information, visit AQSaints.com for all things Aquinas Athletics.