Grand Rapids, Mich. – Tuesday night inside the Sturrus Sports & Fitness Center on Coach Bo Court was a measuring-stick match for the Saints. Entering at 2-7 overall and 1-3 in WHAC play, Aquinas had an opportunity to test itself against the conference's top team. The result was a straight-set loss and a clear reminder of the standard required in this league.

Bethel 3, Aquinas 0  (25-15, 25-14, 25-11)

From the opening serve, the Saints struggled to establish sustained rhythm. Ryden Luedtke directed the offense, working to spread touches across the lineup, while Connor Staats and Jayden Sturdevant took the bulk of swings on the outside.

Jonathan Collins and Zachary Nosky added pressure in their rotations, and Garrett Anderson provided size at the net. In the middle, Joseph Hodgson, Andrew Sliwinski, Alexander Rodriguez, and Brock Hoffman rotated through as AQ searched for consistency.

Defensively, Gage Dinges and Colin Ilagan worked to extend rallies, with Demetrius Baxter contributing in serve receive. Everett Bleyenberg and Julian Fira provided depth at setter, while Langston Korte, Andrew Jones, Braylon Amos, Tristan DePooter, Branden Hubbard, and Dominic Nelson all saw action as Coach Michael Crane adjusted lineups throughout the night.

The Saints showed brief flashes — a strong rally here, a clean sequence there — but were unable to string together meaningful runs. Against the WHAC's top squad, the margin for error is minimal, and AQ's inconsistencies were quickly exposed.

There wasn't much rhythm. There wasn't much momentum. And there wasn't enough execution to shift the tone of any set.

Inside the Numbers
    • Bethel out digged AQ 37-18
    • Shooting %  Bethel .387, Aquinas negative .076
    • Serving: Pilots 5 aces 12 SE's, Saints 1 ace 8 service errors
    • Connor Staats 7 kills and 7 points led the Saints
    • Pilots out blocked the Saints 12-6

Coach's Comments

After the match, Coach Crane didn't shy away from the challenge:

"This is one of those matches where you have to look in the mirror. We have to do some honest soul searching about where we are right now — and where we believe we should be. The standard in this conference is clear. If we want to be in that conversation, it starts with accountability, consistency, and a willingness to push ourselves beyond what's comfortable. The talent is here. Now it's about ownership."

Up Next

The Saints will hit the road to challenge the Warriors of Indiana Tech on Friday. Because of the WHAC Women's Basketball Tournament, the match has been shifted to a 1:00pm start. Ironically, if the AQ Women's Basketball team wins on Wednesday, they will be the Indiana Tech opponent Friday night.

For complete coverage of Aquinas Athletics, including stories, stats, recaps, and the latest team information, visit AQSaints.com.