GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. –- Call it the calm before the storm—but there was nothing quiet about the way the No. 9-ranked Aquinas women's volleyball team finished Wednesday night.
Head coach Ryan Campbell used nearly every player on his roster, watched two different lineups secure set victories and saw his Saints erase late deficits in the final two frames. The result was a straight-set victory over Olivet and one final tune-up before AQ begins an 11-day stretch featuring three top-20 opponents and two talented WHAC teams.
No. 9 Aquinas 3, Olivet 0 (25-20, 25-21, 25-22)
The opening set went back and forth through the first 18 points before Aquinas broke a 9-9 tie with a six-point run. Kate Schneider supplied two kills during the surge, Natalie West added an ace and Olivet committed two attacking errors to put AQ ahead 15-9.
Jayla Martin helped the Saints maintain control with seven kills on 10 swings in the opening frame. West directed the offense with 16 assists while adding one kill, two aces and three digs in her lone set of action.
Cece Pelak contributed three kills and an ace, while Michelle Ramirez recorded two kills and combined with Martin for a block. Nevaeh Bakker added a kill, Sophie Munch served an ace and Kami Morse collected six digs as AQ closed out the first set, 25-20.
Campbell turned to a new group for the second set, with Jeanette Desser, Soniah Robinson, Kyla Charles, Alexa Eden, Tess Griffith and Audrey Gil receiving the starting assignments. Neither side could create much separation, and the set remained tied at 19-19.
Olivet scored the next two points to move ahead 21-19, prompting Campbell to call timeout. The Saints emerged from the stoppage and scored the final six points, turning the two-point deficit into a 25-21 victory.
Eden came off the bench and stepped to the service line with AQ trailing 21-20. She served the final five points of the set as the Saints completed the comeback without allowing Olivet another point.
Robinson powered the new-look attack with five kills during the second set. Charles distributed the ball across the front row, while Kaylyn Tuck and Griffith provided additional options on the pins.
Olivia Dennis delivered two of her match-high three service aces in the frame, Curtis added an ace, Katelyn Orlowski contributed in the back row and Savannah Byker strengthened the Saints' presence at the net.
The same group returned for the third set and again demonstrated its ability to respond under pressure. After Olivet built a 17-13 advantage, Aquinas scored three straight points and eventually pulled even at 20-20 on a Charles kill.
Eden then served AQ to three consecutive points, recording an ace during the run to give the Saints a 23-20 advantage. Robinson delivered the final two points with back-to-back kills as Aquinas completed the sweep, 25-22.
Robinson led the Saints with 10 kills and a .529 hitting percentage, while Martin hit .600 with seven kills, Tuck totaled six kills and Griffith finished with five. Gil matched Dennis with three aces, while Eden and Morse shared the team lead with six digs apiece.
Aquinas finished with a 42-23 advantage in kills and held additional advantages in assists, 40-23, service aces, 13-7, digs, 37-31, and total blocks, 6-3. Every Saint who entered the match recorded at least one statistic, giving Campbell's roster an important night of competition before the intensity and level of opposition increase considerably.
With the non-conference victory, Aquinas improved to 19-1 overall and remained 5-0 in WHAC play. Olivet fell to 3-11 overall and remained 0-0 in the MIAA.
Saints Snapshots
- Six Straight: After trailing Olivet 21-19, AQ scored the final six points to capture the second set, 25-21.
- Eden Answers: Alexa Eden came off the bench and served the final five points of the Saints' second-set comeback.
- Roster Ready: All 19 Saints who appeared in the match recorded at least one statistic.
- Soniah Shines: Soniah Robinson led AQ with 10 kills and a .529 hitting percentage.
- Calm Before the Storm: The Saints will face three top-20 opponents and two strong WHAC teams over the next 11 days.
Coach's Comments
Following the non-conference match, Campbell had plenty to discuss beyond Wednesday's result, with the Saints beginning an extended stretch of playoff-caliber competition.
"It was important for us to take care of business tonight, but it was equally important to get so many players meaningful time on the court," Campbell said. "We saw a lot of different combinations, and every player who stepped out there contributed in some way. Over the next 11 days, we are going to face three top-20 opponents and two very good teams in our conference, so the intensity is going to rise quickly. This group understands what is ahead of us, and now we have to be ready to compete at a high level every time we take the floor." — Aquinas head coach Ryan Campbell
Up Next
AQ will have a short break before a very eventful weekend, as the Saints travel to Indiana Tech on Friday before Saturday matches against UNOH at noon and No. 21 Cumberlands at 2 p.m.
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.
