Grand Rapids, Mich. On a day of remembrance across the country, No. 12 Aquinas provided its own quiet reminder Friday night of what can be accomplished together. The Saints needed different players at different moments against a young and determined Defiance squad, turning a total team effort into a three-set victory. It was another step forward for an AQ team that understands its best volleyball will come from continuing to grow together.
No. 12 Aquinas 3, Defiance 0 (25-23, 25-12, 25-19)
Defiance made its intentions clear from the opening serve, jumping in front early and forcing Aquinas to play from behind for much of the first set. The Yellow Jackets built a 9-4 advantage before the Saints methodically worked their way back, eventually drawing even at 14-14. Neither team could create much separation from there, and Defiance regained a 21-20 advantage late in the set. AQ responded when it mattered most, with Cece Pelak delivering a kill to even the score at 22 before Jayla Martin put the Saints in front with another. After Defiance answered to make it 23-23, Martin struck again for set point and Kami Morse finished the comeback from the service line with an ace for the 25-23 win.
The second set showed just how quickly Aquinas can change the complexion of a match when everything starts working together. Natalie West opened the frame with two service aces as AQ jumped ahead 4-0, but the Yellow Jackets responded and eventually pulled even at 7-7. That's when Sophie Munch took her turn at the service line and the Saints took over. Aquinas rattled off 10 consecutive points to build a 17-7 advantage, with Munch recording two aces, Nevaeh Bakker supplying three kills and West and Bakker combining for a block during the run. The Maroon and White hit a blistering .545 in the set, recording 14 kills against only two errors on the way to a 25-12 victory.
Defiance again put the Saints in an uncomfortable position in the third, racing ahead 5-1 and eventually stretching the margin to 13-7. Once again, AQ found an answer from throughout the lineup, scoring eight of the next nine points to turn the six-point deficit into a 15-14 advantage. Pelak provided a pair of kills during the surge, while Martin and Michelle Ramirez helped fuel the comeback. With the score tied at 16, Morse delivered an ace before Bakker and Pelak followed with kills to finally give Aquinas some breathing room. Ramirez added back-to-back kills during the closing stretch, and Munch's third ace of the night brought up match point as the Saints completed the sweep, 25-19.
The balance was even more evident on the final stat sheet, as Aquinas finished with 48 kills against only 11 attack errors and hit .370 as a team. Martin led the Saints with 12 kills on 18 attempts and just one error for a .611 hitting percentage while adding six block assists. Pelak, the reigning WHAC Attacker of the Week, added 11 kills and seven digs, while Bakker put down 10 kills on 15 swings with just one error to hit .600. West continued to contribute in nearly every phase with 33 assists, seven kills, six digs, five block assists and two aces while hitting .545 herself. Morse led AQ with 14 digs and added seven assists and two aces, Ramirez finished with five kills, Munch served three aces and Olivia Dennis added another as the Saints received contributions throughout the rotation.
The victory moves Aquinas to 16-1 overall and 3-0 in the WHAC, while Defiance falls to 11-6 overall and 2-1 in conference play. The Saints have now won 13 consecutive matches and will look to keep that run going Wednesday at Lawrence Tech.
AQ also remains atop the early WHAC standings at 3-0, with Cornerstone and Indiana Tech both unbeaten at 2-0 and Defiance sitting fourth at 2-1.
Saints Snapshots
- Triple Threat: Martin (12), Pelak (11) and Bakker (10) gave Aquinas three players in double figures in kills during the three-set victory.
- Middle Mayhem: Martin and Bakker combined for 22 kills with only two attack errors, hitting .611 and .600, respectively.
- West Does West Things: West paired 33 assists with seven kills, six digs, five block assists and two service aces while hitting .545.
- The Munch Run: With the second set tied 7-7, Munch served AQ through 10 consecutive points, turning a deadlocked set into a 17-7 Saints advantage.
- Strength in Numbers: Aquinas hit .370 as a team with 48 kills, while nine different Saints contributed a kill, assist, ace, block or double-digit dig total.
Coach's Comments
The 3-0 final did not tell the entire story, and Head Coach Ryan Campbell knows matches like Friday's are exactly why his team cannot become comfortable with past success. With young, hungry and improving teams throughout the WHAC, Campbell continues to challenge the Saints to bring the same drive and desire every time they take the court.
"Defiance is a good, young and hungry team, and I thought they showed us tonight exactly why you can't take anybody in this conference lightly," Campbell said. "Every team we face wants to give us its best shot, and that's good for us because it forces us to keep getting better. We can't be satisfied with where we are or what we've done. Our challenge is to be a little better every time we take the floor, and I thought tonight we had a lot of different people step up when we needed them."
Up Next
The Saints will get a much-deserved weekend off following the win over the Yellow Jackets. Aquinas returns to action Wednesday when it heads to Southfield to take on the Blue Devils of Lawrence Tech. The match is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start.
From there, the Saints return to the Sturrus Sports and Fitness Center as part of Saturday's Homecoming festivities, welcoming Rochester Christian for a 2 p.m. match.
While we hope to see you there, the Homecoming match will also be broadcast live on the AQSaints Athletic Network, with 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.
Â
