Rivalry Week

Cornerstone men's volleyball will take on two more WHAC opponents in a three match week. Cornerstone begins the week at receiving votes Aquinas before hosting Saint Xavier on Thursday, and then returning on the road on Friday to take on Indiana Tech. CU is coming off a single match last week against NAIA number five Lourdes where despite not winning, the team saw much improvement and took their first ever set from a ranked opponent in program history. 

SXU/AQ/CU Tri-Match

Schedule 

5 p.m. - (RV) Aquinas vs. (9) Saint Xavier - Mol Arena 

7 p.m. - Cornerstone vs. (9) Saint Xavier - Mol Arena 

Freshman Max Hernandez did something a little unorthodox for a setter last time out vs. (5) Lourdes, recording a team third best six kills. Hernandez had 12 attempts and a team best .417 hitting percentage. He also recorded 20 assists in the four set match. 

Scouting Aquinas

Aquinas is in their third year of having a men's volleyball program starting back in the spring of 2019. All AQ did in their first year was go 31-5 and make it all the way to the NAIA National Championship Game before falling to Benedictine University at Mesa in the finals. Last season the NAIA Championships were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To begin 2021, Aquinas has gotten off to a shockingly slow start, falling in straight sets to Indiana Tech and in four to (13) Goshen College to put them at 0-2 and 0-2 in WHAC play. 

AQ is led by junior Julian Armendano from La Plata, Argentina. He is in his first season with the Saints and has recorded a team high 27 kills, averaging 3.86 per set. Aquinas has a young team that comes from all over the world, with just one athlete being from the state of Michigan on the roster. 

Scouting Saint Xavier

Saint Xavier has gone a perfect 4-0 in their first four matches of 2021 and come in ranked number nine in the latest NAIA Top 15 poll. Two of the teams four wins this season have come in five sets as they will also take on Saint Ambrose University before traveling to Grand Rapids on Thursday. SXU began their program back in 2017 and has improved each year finishing second in the CCAC each of the past two seasons. Last year the Cougars were one of the best in the NAIA in service aces, ranking ninth nationally with an average of 1.61 per game. 

The teams leading attacker in Grant Ooms returns for his senior season after recording 237 kills in 2020. Aaron Kummer also returns for his senior season to set for the Cougars after recording 453 in a shortened 2020 season. 

Scouting Indiana Tech

Indiana Tech enters their second season as a program and is a much improved team after finishing 10-12, 2-4 WHAC in their first season. The Warriors started their season with a four set win over the number two team in the country in Campbellsville University and have gone on to win five of their first six to sit at 5-1, 1-0 WHAC on the year. In the conference opener, Indiana Tech shocked Aquinas in straight sets 27-25, 25-17, 26-24. 

IIT has just one senior with the rest of their players either sophomores our freshman. The team is known for their blocks as they recorded a NAIA fifth best mark of 183 total blocks last season, and have already recorded 51 in six games this season. Individually, the lone senior of Chase Christiansen leads the team in blocks with 21 and 13 of those being solo blocks.