GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. –The Bethel Pilots (13-13, 7-7) fell to Aquinas College (8-16, 3-10) 3-2 on Thursday night in the Sturrus Sports & Fitness Center.
Thomas Dunkley led the Bethel offense with 17 kills, and Ling Pak Him ended the night with 12 kills.
Santana Roybal-Benson totaled seven kills at a .312 hitting percentage and totaled six blocks for the Pilots.
In the opening set, Aquinas took an early four-point lead, ending with an attack error by Thomas Dunkley (4-1).
The Pilots answered with their own four-point run, as Thomas Dunkley scored a kill to give Bethel the lead for the first time in the match (9-8).
Bethel scored seven kills in the remainder of the match, while Aquinas posted nine to give the Saints the first set 25-18.
Pablo Tello posted two consecutive service aces mid-set to give the Pilots a 12-11 lead.
Thomas Dunkley recorded a kill at 21-18 in the final points of set two and kept the battle close with Royball-Benson following with a kill in the next rally, but would ultimately drop to a 2-0 set deficit after losing set two 25-22.
In the third set, Dunkley continued to showcase consistent hitting with back-to-back kills to tie the score 6-6. The Pilots gradually gained momentum with a 14-10 lead from Royball-Benson’s kill and kept a four-point gap to snatch the third set 25-20.
In the fourth set, Christian Woumnga recorded two consecutive kills early on (6-4).
Bethel had an impressive six-point run in the middle of the set, concluding with a kill by Ling Pak Him.
Thomas Dunkley retied the score 22-22 with a kill, and Aquinas scored three consecutive points to secure the set 25-22.
The Pilots stay in Grand Rapids, Mich., and travel down the Beltline to face the No. 10 Cornerstone Golden Eagles in Mol Arena on Friday, April 4 at 7:00 p.m.