Grand Rapids, Mich. – There is always extra excitement surrounding a season opener, and even more when it unfolds in front of a hometown crowd. The AQ Men's Volleyball team opened the 2026 campaign Thursday night against Life University on Coach Bo Court, and for the first two sets, the Saints looked every bit like a team poised for a deep postseason run. Unfortunately, Life University responded with a late surge, completing a reverse sweep to hand Aquinas a hard-fought season-opening loss.
Life 3, Aquinas 2 (19-25, 23-25, 25-21, 25-21, 15-9)
Aquinas came out firing in the opening set, controlling the tempo and capitalizing on Life errors to claim a 25-19 win. The Saints followed with another strong performance in set two, closing out a tight frame 25-23 behind steady offense, strong serve pressure, and confident play at the net. AQ's early momentum had the home crowd buzzing and Life searching for answers.
Life regrouped in the third set and began to swing momentum back in its favor. Despite continued production from the Saints' attackers, the Running Eagles edged Aquinas 25-21 to stay alive. The fourth set mirrored the third, as Life again pulled away late, winning 25-21 and forcing a decisive fifth set.
In the final frame, Life seized control early and never relinquished the lead, closing out the match 15-9. Aquinas continued to compete, but the Running Eagles' execution from the service line and ability to finish points proved to be the difference down the stretch.
Offensively, Connor Staats led the Saints with 17 kills and a match-high 23 points, while Jayden Sturdevant added nine kills and Joseph Hodgson chipped in seven. Alexander Rodriguez was efficient on the attack, recording seven kills on a .429 hitting percentage, and Jonathan Collins contributed four kills. At the net, Hodgson, Sturdevant, and Braylon Amos helped anchor the Aquinas block.
The Saints' offense was directed by Ryden Luedtke and Demetrius Baxter, who combined for 51 assists and kept multiple attackers involved throughout the night. Defensively, Colin Ilagan paced AQ with 11 digs, while Staats and Luedtke each added eight. Despite the loss, Aquinas showed depth, resilience, and flashes of the potential Coach Michael Crane's squad brings into the 2026 season.
Inside the Numbers
• Aquinas won the first two sets of the match
• Connor Staats recorded a match-high 23 points
• The Saints totaled 66 kills as a team
• AQ finished with 41 digs defensively
• Service Aces to Errors: Aquinas 9–19, Life 5–11
Coach's Comments
Following the season opener, Head Coach Michael Crane reflected on his team's effort and expectations moving forward:
"I liked the way we competed early and the energy we played with in the first two sets," Crane said. "We showed flashes of what this group is capable of, but consistency and execution late are areas we'll continue to focus on. This team has a lot of potential, and tonight gave us a clear picture of what it's going to take moving forward in 2026."
Up Next
The Saints will look to rebound quickly, returning to action Friday night when they host Benedictine on Coach Bo Court, with first serve set for 7:00 p.m. The match will be streamed live, with Sidekick Calvin Willson and Charlie Anderson filling in for Joey Sutherlin on the call.
For complete coverage of Aquinas Athletics, including stories, stats, recaps, and the latest team information, visit AQSaints.com.
