[Men's Volleyball] Aquinas Advances out of MVB Pool Play, Lourdes' Season Ends

DES MOINES, Iowa - Aquinas remains in the hunt for the 2019 NAIA Men's Volleyball National Championship. At the end of pool play, the Saints had a 2-1 record to advance to the semifinals, but Lourdes' season ended with a 1-2 pool play record.

The Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) went 1-1 on the opening day in the Johnson Wellness Center. Aquinas got off to a rocky start, dropping its first pool play match to Benedictine-Mesa (Ariz.) in straight sets before Lourdes posted a 3-0 sweep of St. Andrews (N.C.). The second day saw the two WHAC teams pitted against one another where Aquinas emerged with a 3-0 win to beat the Gray Wolves for the first time this season. On the final day of pool play, Aquinas recorded another sweep with a 3-0 win against St. Andrews for a 2-1 pool record. Lourdes battled against Benedictine-Mesa, but lost a heartbreaking five-set series to end with its season with a 24-5 record. Benedictine-Mesa advanced to the bracket round undefeated and Aquinas joined with a second-best 2-1 record.

Aquinas faces the No. 1 seed emerging from Pool B - Grandview (Iowa) or Missouri Baptist - with Benedictine-Mesa facing the second seed for the right to play for a national championship.