GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (September 10, 2021) – The St. Thomas University (STU) Women's Volleyball team was back in action on Friday evening for a double-header to tip-off the Aquinas/Cornerstone Invitational from the Sturrus Center on the campus of Aquinas College. The Bobcats fell in game one to (RV) Aquinas College in three sets (15-25, 21-25, 15-25). St. Thomas made the bounce back in game two getting the upset victory against the 24^th ranked Cougars from Indiana University-Kokomo in a five-set thriller (18-25, 25-22,19-25, 26-24, 15-11).
 
Match One Starters
Kyleigh Beecham
Arianna Bolinger
Mya Thomas
Loreto Nunez-Casal
Sana Dennis
Tyran Chenault
Bianca Grassi – libero
 
Match One Notes

• Aquinas College is receiving votes in the latest NAIA Top-25 Coaches' Poll.
• Bobcats started off hot with four straight points to take a 5-1 lead over the Saints.
• Aquinas quickly returned the same hot streak to go up 11-5, taking advantage of four Bobcat attack errors.
• The lead ended up being too large in the first set for the Bobcats to make a comeback leading to the fall, 25-15.
• Set Two saw a neck and neck battle within the first 13-points.
• The Saints would then go on a 9-1 run to make it 16-7.
• Three straight kills by Dennis, Nunez-Casal, and Chenault brought the Bobcats within four, 17-13.
• St. Thomas had a 10-2 run of their own to bring the set to 18-17.
• Aquinas pulled away in the end 25-21 to take a two set lead in the match.
• Set Three saw the same runs as Set One that led to the three-set match sweep for The Saints.

 
Match Two Starters
Tyran Chenault
Sana Dennis
Arianna Bolinger
Kyleigh Beecham
Mya Thomas
Loreto Nunez-Casal
Bianca Grassi – libero
 
 
Match Two Notes

• IU-Kokomo is currently ranked no. 24 in the latest NAIA Top-25 Coaches' Poll.
• St. Thomas had seven service aces, while also having 10 blocks to lead the box score.
• Bianca Grassi is currently ranked eighth in the NAIA in digs per set (5.66).
• Chenault matched her career-high in kills with 15.
• St. Thomas forced their third fifth set match, they are currently 2-1 when the match goes to five sets.
• IU-Kokomo got the early lead in the match taking set one 25-18.
• St. Thomas opened up set two with a 8-3 lead.
• The match was then tied at 10 and STU got four kills and help by a Cougar error to take a 15-10 lead.
• IU-Kokomo's run was not enough as St. Thomas took set two 25-22.
• A late run by the Cougars in set three gave them a match lead of 2-1.
• The Bobcats fought back in set four when they were down to their last point and scored three straight points to win the set and force a set five.
• St. Thomas came out red hot and opened the set 9-3 capitalizing on three attack errors by the Cougars.
• The Bobcats led the entire fifth set and took the comeback victory to upset the no. 24 Cougars.

 
Up Next
St. Thomas will wrap up the Aquinas/Cornerstone Invitational on the campus of Cornerstone University on Saturday against host Cornerstone and Indiana University at South Bend.