Grand Rapids, Mich. – Was it perfect? No. Was it always pretty? Not even close. But when a long and grueling Saturday finally reached its conclusion, the No. 12 Aquinas women's volleyball team had once again found a way to win, grow and send another message to the rest of the NAIA.
The Saints overcame a sluggish start against UT Southern before closing the match in dominant fashion, then capped a perfect 4-0 weekend by taking down No. 15 Mount Vernon Nazarene in four sets. A quick turnaround may have contributed to AQ dropping Saturday's opening set, but it never became an excuse.
Instead, the Maroon and White showed resilience, depth and enough late-match toughness to enter the holiday break with a 14-1 record, two victories over top-tier national opponents and even more momentum than they had when the weekend began.
Match One: No. 12 Aquinas 3, UT Southern 1
22-25, 25-22, 25-13, 25-8
The Saints found themselves chasing the Firehawks almost immediately, falling behind 5-1 in the opening set before beginning the difficult work of climbing back into contention. Cece Pelak delivered four consecutive kills during a run that pulled AQ even at 11-11, while Sophie Munch added back-to-back aces to give the Saints their first lead at 20-19. UT Southern answered down the stretch, however, scoring six of the final eight points to claim the opening set, 25-22.
The Firehawks carried that momentum into the second frame and built another 5-1 advantage, forcing the Saints to play from behind once again. Aquinas trailed 17-15 before Nevaeh Bakker put away a kill and teamed with Natalie West for a block that ignited a pivotal 5-0 run from the service line of Kaylyn Tuck. West added a kill during the surge, Bakker supplied another block and Tuck fired an ace to push AQ in front, 20-17. Jayla Martin then took over late, contributing two kills and combining with West on a block before delivering the solo rejection that finished the 25-22 victory and evened the match.
With the match reset, the Saints finally began to look like themselves. Audrey Gil broke open a 12-6 third-set advantage with three aces during a six-point service run, while Martin, Kate Schneider and Pelak helped stretch the margin to 22-7. Martin added AQ's 24th point before Kami Morse closed the 25-13 set with an ace.
Aquinas carried that energy directly into the fourth, turning a narrow 6-5 edge into a commanding 12-5 lead behind four aces from Olivia Dennis and kills from Pelak and Bakker. Tuck followed with an eight-point service run that featured her own ace, two West kills, two Bakker kills and a pair of West-Bakker blocks. The Saints hit a blistering .522 in the final frame and finished the match by scoring 19 of the final 22 points, with Pelak supplying the clinching kill in the 25-8 rout. Pelak led the Aquinas attack with 14 kills and four aces, Martin was nearly unstoppable with 11 kills, four blocks and a .588 hitting percentage, and Bakker added nine kills on a .467 clip with seven blocks. West filled the stat sheet with five kills, 27 assists and five blocks, while Morse anchored the back row with 17 digs and two aces as the Saints recorded 18 service aces.
Match Two: No. 12 Aquinas 3, No. 15 Mount Vernon Nazarene 1
25-21, 25-23, 19-25, 25-22
Less than two hours after finishing its comeback against UT Southern, Aquinas returned to Coach Bo Court for a nationally ranked showdown with No. 15 Mount Vernon Nazarene. The Saints quickly established that tired legs would not determine the outcome, using early kills from Schneider, West, Pelak and Martin to build a 10-6 advantage in the opening set. MVNU fought back to even the score at 12-12, but AQ responded with a 5-1 burst highlighted by two Martin kills and a Pelak-West block. The Cougars remained within striking distance until Tuck supplied two late kills, West added another and an MVNU service error secured the 25-21 victory.
Aquinas led 11-7 in the second set before the Cougars answered with an extended run and moved ahead, 17-13. Rather than allow the momentum to escape, the Saints fought back behind Pelak, who delivered three kills during a 7-2 response that put AQ back in front, 20-19. MVNU tied the frame at 23-23, but Martin produced a kill to create set point and Dennis followed with an ace to steal the 25-23 decision and give Aquinas a commanding two-set lead.
The Cougars refused to fade, using a 9-2 run in the third set to turn a 14-13 edge into a 23-16 cushion on the way to a 25-19 victory. Aquinas regrouped between sets and came out aggressively in the fourth, receiving an ace from West, two early Martin kills and a pair of Morse aces to move ahead, 6-3. With the score tied at 10-10, the Saints unleashed the afternoon's defining run. Pelak put away a kill, Martin and Schneider combined for consecutive blocks, and Pelak added another kill before Schneider's solo rejection completed a 5-0 surge and forced an MVNU timeout.
Sarah Curtis later delivered an ace, Tuck added a kill and AQ's advantage grew to 18-11. The Cougars mounted one final charge, trimming a nine-point deficit to 21-19 and eventually drawing within 23-22, but Pelak stopped the rally with her 19th kill of the match before Martin fittingly finished the weekend with a kill from West to seal the 25-22 victory. West was brilliant from her setter position, totaling nine kills on a .471 hitting percentage, 31 assists, seven digs, three blocks and two aces. Pelak powered the offense with 19 kills and 11 digs, Morse collected 19 digs and four aces, and Martin and Schneider combined for 12 kills and 12 blocks as Aquinas closed out its second victory of the season over a nationally ranked opponent.
The two victories improved Aquinas to 14-1 overall and completed a perfect 4-0 showing at the AQ/CU Invite. The Saints have now won eight consecutive matches and will carry a growing collection of hard-earned experience into the next stage of their WHAC schedule.
Saints Snapshots
- Four Matches, Four Different Tests: Aquinas swept the AQ/CU Invite by winning through fast starts, comeback efforts, dominant stretches and late-set pressure—the kind of variety that should serve the Saints well when the WHAC schedule intensifies.
- Pelak Powers the Finish: Cece Pelak followed 14 kills against UT Southern with 19 more against No. 15 MVNU, saving one of her most important swings for match point in Saturday's nationally ranked showdown.
- West Does More Than Set: Natalie West directed the attack with 58 assists across the two victories, but her 14 kills, eight blocks, nine digs and steady play in critical moments made her one of AQ's most complete performers Saturday.
- Middle of Everything: Jayla Martin and Nevaeh Bakker helped transform both matches at the net, combining for 32 kills and 23 blocks while repeatedly delivering when the Saints needed to halt an opponent's run.
- Pressure From the Service Line: Olivia Dennis, Kami Morse, Audrey Gil, Kaylyn Tuck, Sophie Munch and Pelak were all part of an aggressive serving attack that produced 29 aces and created several of Saturday's decisive scoring runs.
Coach's Comments
After navigating two demanding matches and completing a perfect weekend, head coach Ryan Campbell came away encouraged by the Saints' resilience, depth and ability to respond under pressure. Still, Campbell recognized that the weekend revealed areas requiring attention as Aquinas prepares to return to the conference grind.
"I'm proud of the way this group competed because today demanded a lot from us physically and mentally," Campbell said. "We did not always play our cleanest volleyball, but we stayed connected, trusted one another and found answers when both teams put us under pressure. Winning four matches this weekend—especially finishing against a talented, nationally ranked Mount Vernon Nazarene team—is something our players should feel good about. At the same time, we saw several areas where we need to become more consistent, and that gives us something very clear to attack when we return to practice. This group wants to keep improving, and weekends like this can teach you a great deal about who you are and where you still want to go."
Up Next
The Saints have more than earned the remainder of the holiday weekend to rest, rehab, recoup and relax before returning to practice Tuesday.
Aquinas will resume WHAC competition Wednesday in Livonia, where the Saints will challenge the Crusaders of Madonna. The match is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start.
Fans who missed Saturday's action can click here to visit the AQSaints YouTube Network to watch the school's first remote-streamed broadcast. Assistant Athletic Director and Director of Athletic Communications Joey Sutherlin called the nationally ranked match-up from his cottage on Wolf Lake in Baldwin, Michigan, while the Saints competed inside Coach Bo Court.
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.
