Sharp Redbirds take down Tommies to close non-conference slate

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The 2023 non-conference schedule ended Friday afternoon as St. Thomas volleyball took a 3-0 loss to Illinois State (14-25, 19-25, 16-25) to wrap up the Capital Credit Union Classic in Green Bay, Wis.

Recap

The Redbirds' strong day began from the onset of set one as they scored the first six points on four kills, a block assist and a Tommie attack error. After ISU pushed the lead to seven, 8-1, sophomore Megan Wetter put together two kills with a service ace from sophomore Allie Kopp in between for a quick 3-0 run. After both teams traded scores over the next seven points, the Redbirds separated again for good.

Sophomore Tezra Rudzitis put down a kill off an assist by freshman Morgan Kealy to take a 1-0 lead in the second set, marking the Toms' only lead of the match. The Redbirds went on to score four straight and extended its lead to a set-high seven points twice.

Illinois State used a .556 hitting percentage through the final set to secure the sweep, totaling their second set of the match hitting above the .500 mark.

Top Tommies

· Sophomore Ella Voegele led the Purple in digs for the ninth time this season, adding 11 on Friday. She ends the day second in the Summit League with 4.10 digs per set.

· Freshman Ellie Gustafson led the Tommies with six kills and a .235 hitting percentage. She ends non-conference play with a team best 2.55 kills per set, which ranks 13th in the Summit League, and is second with 84 total kills.

· Sophomores Kaitlynn Peterson and Megan Wetter each added five kills as Peterson chipped in four digs. Wetter ranks second for St. Thomas and 14th in the conference with 2.43 kills per set while Peterson is 18th with 2.19 kills per set.

· Freshman Morgan Kealy exits the non-conference schedule fourth in the Summit League with 8.38 assists per set and 19th with 2.63 digs per set.

Quoteables

Thoughts from head coach Thanh Pham on the highlights from non-conference play that he expects to continue into Summit League action:

"We've shown we have the ability to play at a high level and we must find a way to sustain our own momentum. We've also played a lot of different lineups and we are getting important contributions from everyone."

Up Next

St. Thomas welcomes in South Dakota State to Schoenecker Arena for the Summit League opener at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 21. The first 150 students in attendance will receive a free Tommie Volleyball t-shirt.

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-- St. Thomas Athletics --

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Team Stats

Ellie Gustafson

Kaitlynn Peterson

Megan Wetter

Claire Ricard

Players Mentioned

Ellie Gustafson

Morgan Kealy

Allie Kopp

Kaitlynn Peterson

Tezra Rudzitis

Ella Voegele

Megan Wetter