Grand Rapids, Mich. -- October volleyball has its own version of Newton's law: Every result creates a reaction somewhere else. Aquinas entered Friday with 30 wins and one loss, yet its latest victory had accompanied a move from No. 6 to No. 7 in the NAIA rankings. Go figure. With UNOH in town and Indiana Tech waiting Saturday, the Saints had little time to debate the polls — and every reason to keep giving voters something to think about.
No. 7 Aquinas 3, UNOH 0 (25-14, 25-11, 25-15)
The Maroon and White answered with a sweep built on efficient attacking, defensive persistence and contributions from all 13 Saints who stepped onto the court. Aquinas finished with 40 kills and a .294 hitting percentage while holding UNOH to 22 kills and a .000 mark.
Jayla Martin supplied the opening kill, and Natalie West followed with an ace to give the Saints an immediate spark. After the Racers tied the first set at 2-2, Aquinas claimed seven of the next eight points, with Kate Schneider, Nevaeh Bakker and Audrey Gil combining for a triple block during the surge. UNOH eventually narrowed the gap to 13-11, but Schneider answered with a kill before joining Martin for another block to help launch a 12-3 closing run.
Schneider was the offensive difference-maker in the opener, putting away seven kills as Aquinas hit .353. Gil added a late kill, and Cece Pelak delivered three of the Saints' final four points with kills to finish the 25-14 victory.
West took control at the service line to begin the second set, opening with a six-point run that included consecutive aces. Martin and Pelak teamed up for a block during that stretch, while Schneider and Martin each contributed a kill. Pelak then helped turn a 7-2 lead into a 12-2 advantage during her own service rotation, pairing an ace with an attack that featured kills from Martin, Schneider and Gil.
Alexa Eden supplied an ace for a 17-6 cushion, and West added another as the Saints stretched the lead to 19-7. Bakker's kill brought Aquinas to set point, and Olivia Dennis finished the job with an ace for the 25-11 win. The Saints produced their most efficient offensive set of the evening, hitting .385 with 13 kills against three errors.
UNOH moved ahead 6-4 in the third, but Kaylyn Tuck delivered a kill to bring Sarah Curtis to the service line. Curtis then served six consecutive points, contributing an ace while West and Bakker combined for a block and Pelak hammered consecutive kills to help build an 11-6 lead. That response restored control, with Pelak adding two more kills shortly afterward and Martin later supplying a solo block.
Tuck's second kill helped extend the advantage to 20-11, and another West-Bakker block moved Aquinas within two points of finishing the match. The Saints completed the sweep on a UNOH attack error, closing an evening in which their defense forced the Racers into a negative third-set hitting percentage.
Schneider finished with 11 kills on .474 hitting, while Pelak matched her kill total and added 15 digs for a double-double that reflected her influence on both sides of the ball. Martin delivered eight kills on .438 hitting and three total blocks, and Bakker paired five error-free kills with five block assists to give Aquinas steady production in the middle.
West orchestrated the attack with 37 assists, five aces, four digs and three block assists, while Kami Morse kept possessions alive with a match-high 20 digs and added an assist. Brooke Price contributed five digs, Gil finished with three kills, two digs, an assist and a block assist, and Sophie Munch added a dig as the Saints received meaningful support throughout the lineup.
Serving remained a concern for Campbell, particularly early in the match, when he felt the Saints allowed UNOH's defense to keep the Racers competitive. Aquinas finished with nine aces against eight service errors, a plus-one margin Campbell considered unacceptable and an area demanding greater consistency as postseason play approaches.
The victory lifted No. 7 Aquinas to 31-1 overall and 12-0 in the WHAC, while UNOH fell to 10-19 overall and 3-9 in conference play. Across town, Cornerstone's sweep of Indiana Tech left those two teams tied for second and expanded the Saints' conference lead to two matches. Saturday now offers Aquinas an opportunity to move three matches ahead of the Warriors, while an Indiana Tech victory would trim that separation to one. The national ranking may have moved down a spot, but the Saints strengthened their position atop the WHAC.
Saints Snapshots
- Separation at the top: Aquinas paired its sweep with a favorable result across town to build a two-match WHAC lead heading into Saturday's showdown.
- More options, more problems: Four Saints recorded at least five kills, with Schneider, Martin and Bakker each hitting .333 or better.
- Defense travels into November: Morse and Pelak combined for 35 digs, helping hold UNOH to a .000 hitting percentage and keeping the Racers from finding sustained offensive traction.
- Ready when called: Eden and Dennis delivered second-set aces, while Tuck and Curtis helped turn a third-set deficit into a five-point lead.
- Serving must improve: Nine aces against eight service errors fell short of Campbell's standard, with early inconsistency allowing UNOH's defense to keep the Racers competitive.
Coach's Comments
Thirty-one wins, one loss and an unbeaten conference record might sound like permission to exhale. Ryan Campbell is still reaching for the practice plan. His first concern Friday was the Saints' early serving, which allowed UNOH's defense to keep the Racers competitive. Nine aces against eight service errors did not meet his expectations, and the Aquinas head coach knows that margin needs to improve with a pivotal Saturday and postseason challenges approaching.
"Our players did a good job of taking care of the match in front of them tonight, and we had contributions throughout the lineup," Campbell said. "We served with purpose, defended well and created opportunities for our hitters. But our record does not earn us a point tomorrow. Indiana Tech will challenge us, and we have to come back ready to communicate, compete and execute from the first serve."
Up Next
The turnaround is quick for Campbell's squad, which returns to action Saturday, Oct. 24, against Indiana Tech at 1 p.m. in a pivotal WHAC matchup. That contest opens a two-match day for Aquinas, with a nonconference meeting against the Alverno College Inferno scheduled for 3 p.m., or one hour after the conclusion of the Indiana Tech match. Both matches will be streamed but only the Indiana Tech contest will feature Joey Sutherlin on the call.
Be sure to visit AQSaints.com for live statistics, streaming links and complete postgame coverage of Aquinas women's volleyball and all other Saints sports.
It's a great day to be a Saint.
