Lakewood, N.J. - The St. Thomas Aquinas College Women's Volleyball team would make history once again, this time winning its first-ever NCAA sanctioned match, taking a five set-thriller from Bowie State University, 3-2, on Friday afternoon inside of the GCU Wellness Center at the Georgian Court University Tri-Match.

STAC fell in their first match of the day, losing to the hosts from Georgian Court, 3-1.

The split of contests moves the Spartans to 1-2 on the year, while Georgian Court improves to 3-2 and Bowie State slips to 0-6.

HOW IT HAPPENED: Match 1 vs. Georgian Court University

• The Spartans opened the match with a 25-23 opening set victory, the team's first in program history.
• St. Thomas Aquinas blew out to an early 8-1 lead, before Georgian Court was able to close the lead to just 10-9.
• Tied at 13, STAC rattled off eight of the next nine points to pull ahead 21-14.
• A rally by GCU cut the deficit to just three (24-21), before Jaizahir Marrero-George's kill from teammate Lea Venghaus slammed the door shut on the set.
• Georgian Court battled back to then win three straight sets, 25-14, 25-12 and 25-14 to take the match.
• Jaizahir Marrero-George led the way on offense for the maroon and gold with a match-high 55 total attacks and 23 kills. She also picked up five of the Spartans 12 block assists.
• Aurivette Santos Bonilla successfully kept the ball in play for STAC with a team-leading 13 digs.

HOW IT HAPPENED: Match 2 vs. Bowie State University

• Bowie State took a 25-6 first set to lead the match 1-0.
• Down 2-0 in the second set, the Spartans rallied to tie things at 2-2 and then go ahead 6-2.
• STAC answered every point that was taken by Bowie St. with one of their own down the stretch to take set two, 25-18 and tie the match at 1-1.
• Another close set ensued in the third round, but up 17-14, the maroon and gold answered with seven straight points to make it 24-14.
• Despite putting up two consecutive points, a service error by Bowie State gave STAC the final point in the set to win 25-16 and take a 2-1 lead in the match.
• Set four saw Bowie State race out to a 6-0 lead, but the Spartans would rally with 13 of the next 20 points to tie the score at 13-13 and then take a one point lead (14-13) on Lea Venghaus service ace.
• However, the Bulldogs would right the ship and retake the lead, holding off STAC's late challenge, 25-19 and tying the match up at 2-2.
• It would come down to a winner takes all fifth and final set between the Spartans and Bulldogs.
• STAC would race out to a 5-1 lead early in the deciding set, before Bowie State narrowed the deficit to just 6-4.
• The Spartans would then go up five (9-4), but the Bulldogs would continue to battle back, taking five of the next six points to only trail 10-9.
• St. Thomas Aquinas built a three-point advantage (14-11), before the set and match-deciding point would come via a Bowie State service error to close things out at 15-11 and give the maroon and gold its first-ever match triumph.
• Jaizahir Marrero-George led the way on offense for the maroon and gold with another match-high 50 total attacks and 18 kills.
• Aurivette Santos Bonilla picked up another team-leading 18 digs.

UP NEXT

St. Thomas Aquinas hosts Assumption University on Sunday, September 10 in a 2:00 p.m. tilt at Aquinas Hall.