Aquinas Sweeps Volleyball in Saturday Matinee Match

STAY CONNECTED: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
BE THE FIRST TO KNOW: Text & Email Alerts
DOWNLOAD OUR APPS: iOS (iPhone/iPad) | Android

DETROIT – Playing their second match in as many days, Marygrove volleyball (4-15, 1-10 WHAC) didn’t have the energy left to upend the visiting Aquinas Saints Saturday (Oct. 4) inside Detroit’s Northwest Activities Center. The Saints used an early surge to sweep the Mustangs and take an 11-6 overall record and 6-5 mark in the WHAC back to Grand Rapids behind set scores of 25-17, 25-12, and 25-19.

A night after losing a four-set thriller to conference foe Siena Heights, the Mustangs were slow out of the gates Saturday as Aquinas took advantage in the first set to win, 25-17. The Saints took the first set due in part to the Mustangs offensive ineffectiveness in a six-kill, nine-error opening stanza.

The Mustangs played better in the second set, but ran into a Saints squad that was growing more confident by the point as the visitors ran away with frame two behind a 25-12 score.

In the third set, the Mustangs rallied late but would be denied as the Saints closed out the match, taking a 25-19 decision. The straight-sets loss sent the Green & Gold to their seventh consecutive defeat as third year head coach Jamie Baker and the Mustangs will look to regroup next week in practice.

The Mustangs were led by Ashley Murphy (Southfield, Mich./Clarenceville High School) with five kills. Sophomore setter Hayley Jury (Plymouth, Mich./Ladywood High School) paced the team with 15 assists, and twins Kara Kempinski and Nicole Kempinski (Livonia, Mich./Schoolcraft College) added 18 and 17 digs, respectively, for the Mustangs in the three-set match.

Elle Sturgell and Sierra VanTil led the Aquinas effort with 13 kills each, while Brooke Wieland added a match-high 28 assists.

The Mustangs will remain in Detroit for a Wednesday (Oct. 8) evening match against Lourdes University at 7 p.m. The Mustang Sports Network will cover the match with live video on marygrovemustangs.com/live beginning at 7 p.m.

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL CONTACT: Tim Johnston | tjohnston@marygrove.edu | @tjohnston56
MARYGROVE BROADCASTS: Mustang Sports Network | Twitter
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL: Twitter