GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- By Saturday afternoon, Aquinas had already packed a lot into Homecoming weekend. Several volleyball players and head coach Ryan Campbell had spent Friday night celebrating former Saint Katie Dahnke (Vander Meer) at the Coach Terry Bocian Aquinas Athletics Hall of Fame ceremony. Now the No. 9 Saints had a match to play, and Rochester Christian arrived with its own loud bench, vocal fans and every intention of spoiling the party. For one set, the Warriors nearly did, but Aquinas found its footing and finished Homecoming Saturday with a four-set victory.
No. 9 Aquinas 3, Rochester Christian 1 (25-11, 27-29, 25-11, 25-15)
Aquinas seized control of the first set after a 6-6 tie, with Audrey Gil serving consecutive aces to start the separation. Cece Pelak followed with a stretch that included three kills and three aces, helping turn a close start into a 20-8 Saints lead. Nevaeh Bakker added four kills in the set, and Natalie West finished it with a block for the 25-11 win.
The second set looked headed in the same direction when West served Aquinas to an 8-0 lead. Rochester Christian kept coming, however, and erased a 23-17 deficit to tie it at 23. The Saints had chances to close it out, but the Warriors won the final two points for a 29-27 decision that evened the match.
Aquinas made its response immediate in the third, using kills from Kate Schneider, Bakker and Kaylyn Tuck, to build a 9-2 advantage. Olivia Dennis served two aces during another Saints run, while West supplied three kills and helped anchor the block. AQ hit .414 in the set and held Rochester Christian to a negative hitting percentage on its way to a 25-11 win.
There was no slow start in the fourth, either. Pelak opened with a kill, and West followed with three straight aces as Aquinas raced ahead 7-0. Jayla Martin and Schneider kept the offense moving, and Gil's service turn helped stretch the lead to 19-7. Tuck delivered two late kills before joining Savannah Byker on the block for the final point of a 25-15 set.
West filled the stat sheet with 36 assists, 12 digs, five aces, four kills and six blocks. Pelak led Aquinas with 12 kills and added 10 digs and three aces, while Martin and Bakker finished with nine kills apiece. Martin also had seven block assists, Schneider put down six kills, and Tuck added five kills without an attack error in two sets. Kami Morse led the Saints with 15 digs, and Aquinas finished with 16 aces.
The win moves Aquinas to 18-1 overall and 5-0 in the WHAC. Rochester Christian falls to 5-14 overall and 1-4 in conference play.
Saints Snapshots
- Homecoming had some volume: Rochester Christian brought a loud bench and vocal fans, giving the Saints a challenge inside their own gym.
- A lead that got away: AQ opened the second set 8-0, but the Warriors fought back to take it 29-27.
- No lingering frustration: The Saints answered that setback by jumping ahead early in the third and taking control of the match again.
- West set the tone: Her three straight aces helped Aquinas race out to a 7-0 lead in the fourth.
- A freshman finishes it: Kaylyn Tuck delivered two late kills, then teamed with Savannah Byker on the match-ending block.
Coach's Comments
"Rochester Christian came in with a lot of energy, and they made us work for this one. I liked the way our team responded after the second set, especially how we came out and took control early in the third and fourth. Last night, we celebrated Katie Dahnke (Vander Meer) going into the Coach Terry Bocian Aquinas Athletics Hall of Fame. Our players can learn a lot from her journey and what it means to keep growing, stay together and leave something lasting at Aquinas." — Aquinas head coach Ryan Campbell
Up Next
Aquinas stays home Wednesday to host Olivet in a nonconference match in Grand Rapids. The Saints then travel to Indiana Tech on Friday before Saturday matches against UNOH at noon and No. 21 Cumberlands at 2 p.m.
Wednesday's match will be broadcast live on the AQSaints Athletic Network, with Joey Sutherlin on the call. Visit AQSaints.com for live statistics, streaming links and complete coverage of Aquinas women's volleyball and the rest of the Saints' Homecoming weekend.
It's a great day to be a Saint.
