GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Blue Raider volleyball team completed its third invitational of the 2025 season on Saturday afternoon, splitting with Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) and 24^th-ranked Aquinas (Mich.).

Ola Wyrzykowska and Petra Fernandez Garcia led the charge offensively with 21 total kills, each, followed closely by Natalie Wandrie's 19.

Momo Hampton posted 20 digs per match and en route to a new season-best in the later of the two, and Luiza Gonçalves dished out 66 assists.

 
Match One: (RV) Lindsey Wilson 3, Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 0

The Blue Raiders put forth a balanced offensive attack and hit 0.284 with 40 kills and only 11 errors, the fewest in a match this season.

Wandrie smoked the Tigers' defense with a season-high nine kills, Wyrzykowska chipped in 11 kills and nine digs, and Gonçalves recorded her second double-double of the season behind 25 assists and 11 digs.

Olivet Nazarene slipped ahead 16-12 in the first set but saw its lead quickly fade away after a Lindsey Wilson timeout. A kill by Wandrie and Wyrzykowska, plus a Tiger miscue sent the Blue Raiders on a long rally where they outscored their opposition 13-3. Sacca came up clutch for Lindsey Wilson during this run. The freshman posted two kills, two service aces, and a block to help her side clinch the set.

The Tigers led 5-3 early in the middle frame before three-point turnaround filled with Olivet Nazarene errors put Lindsey Wilson in front. Scoring shifting back-and-forth and the Blue Raiders grabbed an 11-10 cushion, followed by a four-point run to extend the advantage. Sofija Pjevic contributed a kill and a block, and Wandrie joined on the block and added a kill, herself, to aid Lindsey Wilson's efforts. Later hits by Gonçalves, Wyrzykowska, and Sacca made up a big 6-0 stretch that gave the Blue Raiders the momentum it needed to claim a two-set lead.

Tied at 11-11 in the third, Fernandez Garcia and Wandrie connected on consecutive kills to spearhead a 6-2 run for Lindsey Wilson. The Tigers threatened and pushed within a point but Wyrzykowska put the hammer down for the Blue Raiders' final two points of the match, including the game-sealing spike off a pass from Gonçalves.

 
Match Two: (RV) Lindsey Wilson 2, No. 24 Aquinas (Mich.) 3

For the second time this season, the Blue Raiders took a nationally-ranked opponent to five sets. Just as the first instance, the result fell in favor of the opposition as the homestanding Saints bested Lindsey Wilson on offense 0.200 to 0.112.

The visitors got off to a solid start, building a lead of as many as seven points in the first set with the help of Fernandez Garcia, who tallied five kills in the opening frame. Aquinas made some retaliatory noise toward the end of the set with a three-point run, only to come up short, 25-21.

The Saints controlled the pace of the play throughout the second and third sets, hitting 0.329 to the Blue Raiders' 0.042. Aquinas muscled up seven blocks over that timeframe.

In the fourth, the home side went in front 3-2. A series of hitting errors, however, allowed the Blue Raiders to assume control with an 8-6 lead. The Saints regained their hold and scored eight of the next 10 points. Then, the combination of Duda Becho, Fernandez Garcia, and Wandrie pulled Lindsey Wilson right back, knotting the score a 14-14. After a Saints' timeout, the two sides traded points and Aquinas eventually snuck out to a 19-18 edge. A subsequent kill by Sacca tied the score, again, and sparked a five-point rally for the Blue Raiders. Finally, Fernandez Garica and Wyrzykowska ended the set with back-to-back kills, forcing a fifth.

Aquinas ultimately created an unassailable advantage in the tiebreaker, winning the set 15-8.

Fernandez Garcia finished with 14 kills, 14 digs, and four service aces, while Wyrzykowska had 10 kills and 16 digs.

Wandrie topped her previous outing for a career-best 10 kills, and Gonçalves produced a rounded stat line with 41 assists, eight digs, four kills, and three blocks.

Hampton paced things defensively for Lindsey Wilson with a season-high 27 digs.

 
The Blue Raiders return to Kentucky at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, September 9 for a road match at Pikeville (Ky.).