Box Score Sylvania, Oh. – The Aquinas College men's volleyball team battled through a challenging road test Friday night (Feb. 13), showing fight and resilience despite a straight-set loss to Lourdes. The Saints worked to counter early Gray Wolf runs and found sparks of momentum throughout the match, but Lourdes maintained steady pressure to secure the 3-0 decision.
Aquinas 0, Lourdes 3
Colin Ilagan opened the match at the service line for the Saints, but Lourdes captured the first two points for an early edge. Jayden Sturdevant answered with a kill to put Aquinas on the board, and after the Gray Wolves stretched the lead to 4-1, Andrew Sliwinski delivered a strong swing followed by a Connor Staats service ace to trim the margin to one. Dominic Nelson entered the rotation and immediately contributed an ace, while a Lourdes attack error evened the score at 6-6. Lourdes responded with a short surge to move ahead 9-6, but another Sturdevant kill and a block by Alexander Rodriguez and Ryden Luedtke pulled the Saints within one. The Gray Wolves then used a six-point run to build a 14-8 advantage, prompting Aquinas to take its first timeout. The Saints continued to battle, with Rodriguez and Sturdevant combining offensively along with a Sturdevant block at the net, keeping Aquinas within reach late. Lourdes maintained control down the stretch to take the opening set, 25-19.
Lourdes again started quickly in set two, scoring the first three points before back-to-back Rodriguez kills cut the deficit to 3-2. Braylon Amos made an immediate impact off the bench with a kill, and Illagan followed with an ace to tie the set at 4-4. Another Amos putaway gave Aquinas its first lead of the match at 5-4. The Gray Wolves answered to reclaim the lead and gradually built separation, though a Staats kill kept the Saints within striking distance at 11-8. Both sides traded points as Amos continued to provide offense, but Lourdes used a mid-set run to extend its lead to 19-13. Amos added a solo block late as Aquinas pushed to close the gap, yet Lourdes held steady to secure the second set by another 25-19 margin.
Lourdes once again seized early momentum in set three, building a 4-1 advantage before Andrew Jones delivered a strong kill to trim the deficit to two. The Gray Wolves extended their lead to 11-4, prompting Aquinas to use its first timeout of the set. Out of the break, the Saints forced a pair of Lourdes errors to gain ground, though they still trailed 12-6. Sturdevant capitalized on an overpass and Braylon Amos followed with a kill to make it 13-8. Jones continued to contribute offensively, cutting the deficit to 13-9 and later adding a finesse finish to bring the score to 15-10. Lourdes maintained control and built a 21-10 cushion as Aquinas worked to regain momentum. The Saints continued to compete through the final points, but the Gray Wolves closed out the set 25-12 to secure the match.
Coaches Comments
"We showed flashes of the team we know we can be, but we didn't put together enough consistent stretches to change the outcome," said head coach Michael Crane. "Credit to Lourdes for staying aggressive, but for us it comes down to execution and composure in key moments. We'll learn from it and keep working to finish stronger."
By the Numbers
Up Next
The men's volleyball team will return to play at home February 24th at 7:00 p.m. to take on the Bethel Pilots.
