Lima, Ohio Friday night, Aquinas handed Indiana Tech its first loss. By Saturday afternoon, the ninth-ranked Saints were in Lima for two more matches, with little time to recover and No. 21 Cumberlands waiting in the second one. You might expect that kind of turnaround to catch up with a team. Instead, the Saints answered with heart, guts and execution, sweeping UNOH before finishing the day with a four-set victory over Cumberlands.
Match One: No. 9 Aquinas 3, UNOH 0
25-22, 25-17, 25-19
Northwestern Ohio made the Saints work for the first set, leading 15-12 before Aquinas found its rhythm. Sophie Munch served a four-point run that included an ace and gave AQ a 16-15 lead. After the Racers drew even, Audrey Gil went to the service line and Cece Pelak delivered a kill to put the Saints ahead 18-16. Jayla Martin supplied two kills during the closing stretch, while Michelle Ramirez brought Aquinas to set point with another. Nevaeh Bakker finished the opener with a kill for the 25-22 win.
The second set was tied nine times, including at 14-14, before Aquinas put together the separation it needed. Kami Morse served a three-point run as Pelak struck twice and Bakker added a kill, pushing the Saints ahead 17-14. Ramirez and Bakker helped extend the margin, and Pelak finished the 25-17 set with a kill from Natalie West. AQ hit .256 in the frame and produced 18 kills after recording 15 in the first.
Northwestern Ohio led 9-7 in the third, but Aquinas responded with four straight points behind Alexa Eden's serve. Eden recorded an ace in the run, and kills by Pelak and West put the Saints in front 10-9. Martin later supplied a block and a kill as AQ stretched its lead to 18-12. Soniah Robinson gave the Saints another option in the attack, recording six kills in the set. Bakker brought Aquinas to match point, and Pelak put away the final ball for a 25-19 finish.
Pelak led AQ with 16 kills and 15 digs, while Bakker added 10 kills on .368 hitting. Martin finished with nine kills, Ramirez and Robinson had six apiece, and West directed the offense with 41 assists and 12 digs. Morse collected 14 digs, giving the Saints another steady presence through the quick turnaround. Aquinas improved its hitting percentage in every set, finishing with 52 kills and a .240 mark for the match.
Match Two: No. 9 Aquinas 3, No. 21 Cumberlands 1
25-21, 25-22, 16-25, 26-24
The afternoon's second match brought the ranked challenge awaiting Aquinas, and the Saints wasted little time showing they were ready for it. Pelak, Martin and Robinson delivered consecutive kills to turn an early 1-1 tie into a 4-1 AQ lead. With Morse serving, Aquinas pushed that advantage to 9-2 and forced a Cumberlands timeout. The Patriots chipped away late, pulling within 23-21, but Martin ended their run with a kill. Pelak followed with another to secure the opening set, 25-21.
Cumberlands took a 5-1 lead in the second before Aquinas worked its way back to a 7-7 tie. The teams traded points through the middle of the set, with Bakker and Kate Schneider repeatedly finding answers for the Saints. Pelak gave AQ a 22-20 lead with a kill, and Morse served as the Saints reached set point. Bakker finished the 25-22 win, sending Aquinas into the break with a two-set lead.
The Patriots controlled the third set, building a 15-8 advantage and taking it 25-16. Bakker continued to find openings for Aquinas, but Cumberlands hit .429 in the frame to force a fourth. The Saints had to regroup quickly for a set that stayed tight almost from start to finish.
Neither team led by more than two points through a 16-16 tie, but Cumberlands moved ahead 19-16 and put pressure on Aquinas to respond. Pelak stepped to the service line and sparked a four-point run with an ace. Schneider tied the set at 19, and freshman Kaylyn Tuck put the Saints ahead 20-19 with a kill from Pelak. After the Patriots reclaimed a 21-20 lead, Tuck struck again to help AQ move in front 22-21. Pelak supplied a kill at 22-22, and Bakker gave the Saints match point at 24-23. Cumberlands tied it once more, but Bakker answered with another kill before a Patriots attack error closed a 26-24 Aquinas victory.
Bakker led the Saints with 18 kills on .452 hitting, including two late in the fourth set. Martin and Pelak added 11 kills apiece, while Schneider finished with eight and Tuck supplied three in two sets. West contributed 45 assists and six kills, and Morse anchored the defense with 17 digs. Munch added seven digs and a fourth-set ace as Aquinas finished with 60 kills against the nationally ranked Patriots.
Aquinas is 22-1 overall and 7-0 in WHAC play after another successful weekend for the Maroon and White. The Saints beat previously undefeated Indiana Tech on Friday, then swept Northwestern Ohio and defeated No. 21 Cumberlands on Saturday to extend their 2026 winning streak to 19 matches.
Saints Snapshots
- THREE MATCHES, ONE WEEKEND: Aquinas followed Friday night's win at Indiana Tech with two more victories Saturday in Lima.
- RANKED TEST PASSED: The Saints answered a third-set setback to defeat No. 21 Cumberlands in four.
- BAKKER AT THE FINISH: Nevaeh Bakker had 18 kills against the Patriots and delivered twice late in the 26-24 fourth set.
- DEPTH WHEN IT COUNTED: Soniah Robinson put away six kills against Northwestern Ohio, while Kaylyn Tuck made an impact late against Cumberlands.
- WEST SETS THE PACE: Natalie West combined for 86 assists across Saturday's seven sets.
Coach's Comments
It was tough to downplay the excitement of the weekend, but in typical fashion, coach Ryan Campbell spoke of how proud he is of the team while still seeing areas that need work.
"I'm proud of the way this group responded to a tough turnaround," Campbell said. "We had to come back after an emotional win Friday, play twice today and find a way through a very good ranked team. That takes a lot of heart, and we made some big plays when we needed them. We also saw stretches where our execution has to be cleaner. The team deserves to enjoy what it accomplished this weekend, and then we'll get back to work because Wednesday will demand our best."
Up Next
Out of the frying pan and into another big one for the Saints. There is little time to celebrate before Aquinas travels up the road Wednesday for a 7 p.m. meeting with crosstown rival Cornerstone. Both teams enter the matchup unbeaten in WHAC play, setting up what should be a dandy between the Saints and Golden Eagles. Though the match is on the road, Joey Sutherlin will stream it on the AQSaints YouTube Network.
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.
Editor's note: After this article was published, Indiana Tech defeated Cornerstone 3-1. The Golden Eagles will therefore enter Wednesday's match against Aquinas at Cornerstone with one WHAC loss.
