University of St. Thomas Athletics
Thursday, October 17
St. Paul, Minn.
7:00 p.m. Central
vs
North Dakota
Photo by: Abby Bondi
Volleyball to host Fighting Hawks, undefeated Jackrabbits Oct. 17-19
10/16/2024 10:32:00 AM | Volleyball
Tommies to host Professor Night Thursday and Alumni Day Saturday at Schoenecker Arena
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- St. Thomas volleyball defends the Summit League's second best home record as North Dakota and South Dakota State enter Schoenecker Arena Oct. 17 and 19. The Tommies will host Professor Night against the Fighting Hawks at 7 p.m. Thursday before Alumni Day against the undefeated Jackrabbits at 12 p.m. Saturday.
Tickets: Purchase Here
Live Stats: Thursday vs North Dakota / Saturday vs South Dakota State
Watch: Summit League Network
Series History
St. Thomas has seen its greatest Summit League success against North Dakota as the Tommies are 4-3 in the series, including 3-3 since joining the league in 2021. The Purple won the first three matches of the series, that first began in 1979, and are most recently coming off a 3-1 win over UND in St. Paul last season.
In that match, Ellie Gustafson led the Tommies with 17 kills and 13 digs, marking her third of five double-doubles of 2023. Morgan Kealy led with 30 assists and was one dig shy of a double-double.
SDSU is one of three teams St. Thomas has yet to defeat since joining the Summit League in 2021. The Jackrabbits have won 10 straight sets against the Tommies while the Purple have two set wins all-time, both coming in St. Paul.
Ella Voegele averaged 7.5 digs per set between both matches against SDSU last season, while Tezra Rudzitis recorded 3.4 kills per set on a .273 hitting percentage.
Toms On a Roll
St. Thomas volleyball is on a roll with wins in 11 of the last 15 matches, including back-to-back match sweeps at South Dakota and at home against Kansas City Oct. and 5. The Tommies' 11 wins set a new program Division I single-season record and is tied for the second most in the Summit League this season. The Purple's three league wins are also one shy of setting a new DI benchmark.
St. Thomas volleyball earned a balanced four-set win over Oral Roberts on Oct. 10 for its third straight league victory. Tezra Rudzitis led with 15 kills, while Megan Wetter added 14 kills and a .478 hitting percentage. Morgan Kealy recorded her 10th double-double of the season with 43 assists and 11 digs. The Tommies out-hit Oral Roberts .264 to .143 and tallied eight team blocks, with Wetter contributing six. After dropping the second set, St. Thomas regained control with a strong finish in the final two sets, securing a 25-14, 21-25, 25-21, 25-18 victory.
Lauren Galvin's career-high-tying 22 kills and 12 digs weren't enough as St. Thomas Volleyball fell in five sets at Denver (25-22, 21-25, 25-22, 17-25, 14-16). The Tommies saw standout performances from Galvin, who hit .413 with only three errors, and Megan Wetter, who added 12 kills on a .526 hitting percentage with four blocks. Despite leading 13-7 in the final set, the Tommies couldn't hold off Denver's late surge as the Pioneers completed their comeback. Morgan Kealy also notched her 11th double-double of the season with 40 assists, 10 digs, and three blocks.
Welcome to 2024
Head Coach Thanh Pham leads Tommie Volleyball into action for the 22nd season overall and fourth in NCAA Division I play. Joining Pham on the sidelines is assistant coaches Joy Tietz in her fourth season (14th overall at St. Thomas) and Malissa LeClaire and Kevin Rivas in their third seasons. St. Thomas comes off a 7-20 campaign in 2023, including a 3-13 mark in the Summit League. Both win totals marked the most by the program since joining the DI ranks.
The Purple bring back 18 student-athletes from a season ago and introduce one newcomer in true freshman outside hitter Maddy Benka. Besides Benka and Schmotzer, all 18 Tommie returners saw action in 2023.
Seeing Double-Double(s)
Lauren Galvin, Ellie Gustafson and Morgan Kealy have been productive on both ends of the court while combining for 20 double doubles through 18 St. Thomas matches this season. The trio has also combined for 45 career double-doubles.
Galvin recorded back-to-back double-doubles Sept. 6-7 to close out the Tommie Invitational with 18 kills and 14 digs against Valpo and 15 kills and 10 digs against NIU. She added another with 11 kills and 11 digs during the win at Green Bay before tying a career high 22 kills as part of her 17th career double-double at Denver.
Kealy is consistently producing double-doubles with nine over the last 11 matches, dating back to Sept. 7 against Northern Illinois. As part of her double-double Sept. 14 at Milwaukee, Kealy topped the 1,000 career assist mark to become the first Tommie to do so during the DI era. Before being snapped Sept. 28 at UNO, Kealy produced four straight double-doubles with at least 42 assists in each match.
Like Kealy, Gustafson had a three-match streak of double-doubles, recording at least 11 kills in each match for 3.42 kills per set. She recorded a career high 17 digs in the 3-1 win over Chicago State and totaled 15 kills against each Milwaukee and Green Bay before the streak ended Sept. 26 against NDSU. Her team-high 13 kills and 10 digs helped the Tommies to a road sweep over South Dakota for her ninth career double-double.
Meet Us at the Net
Megan Wetter continues to serve as the Tommies' top attack stuffer as she ranks sixth in the Summit League with 1.04 blocks per set. She has led St. Thomas in blocks 12 times and holds the league's fourth-most single-match blocks this season with nine against Valparaiso. Wetter also ranks second in the league with a .323 hitting percentage.
At the season-opening CEFCU Invitational, redshirt freshman Addie Schmotzer flashed her potential on the defensive end while leading the team with 11.0 total blocks. She began her collegiate career with six block assists against Southern Indiana, before setting a career high seven at Denver, and has led the Tommies in blocks in nine matches. Schmotzer ranks 13th in the Summit League with 0.84 blocks per set.
Can You Dig It?
Voegele and the defense of the Tommies has the team near the top nationally in digs, ranking 30th overall and first in the Summit League with 16.71 per set. Voegele ranks 16th nationally and leads the league with 5.04 digs per set. Her 30 digs against Valparaiso is tied for the most by a player in the Summit League this season. Voegele became the first Tommie in the DI era to record 1,000 career digs, 775 coming in the Purple and Gray, doing so Sept. 7 in a 3-1 win over Northern Illinois,
Lead the Attack
Galvin and Rudzitis have powered the offense through the first 18 matches, both ranking among the top 10 of the Summit League in kills per set. Rudzitis is seventh with 3.10 per set and 11th with 3.36 points per set while Galvin is eighth with 3.06 kills per set and 10th with 3.44 points per set. Rudzitis is also 10th in the league with a .260 hitting percentage, including a .288 hitting percentage over the past 11 matches, and has led the Tommies in kills a team-best seven times this season.
Adding to the offensive attack is Wetter who is 18th in the Summit League with 2.40 kills per set and 12th with 3.25 points per set. She has led the Tommies in kills during three matches and has hit over .304 from the floor in eight straight matches.
The First Perfect Non-Conference Tournament
The 2024 Tommie Invitational Volleyball Tournament was a success as the home team came away with a perfect 3-0 record, claiming the tournament title. It's the first tournament title and first three match winning streak during the DI era.
St. Thomas opened its weekend with a sweep over Tarleton State coming off a stellar offensive attack. The Tommies hit .295 on the offensive end with only 11 errors, the best hitting percentage since Oct. 15, 2022, and the fewest errors since Nov. 12, 2022.
The Tommies carried the momentum over to its match against Valparaiso, winning the first two sets. The Beacons came back to win sets three and four but, the Toms made a late surge and scored four of the final five points to win the fifth set.
Galvin and junior Tezra Rudzitis powered the offense and combined for 32 kills to help St. Thomas to a 3-1 win over NIU. Rudzitis tied a career high 17 kills on a .333 hitting percentage.
Summit League Peak Performers of the Week
Senior outside hitter Lauren Galvin and junior defensive specialist/libero Ella Voegele, the St. Thomas Players to Watch as announced by the Summit League in the Preseason Coaches' Poll, became the first Tommie duo to sweep Summit League Peak Performer of the Week honors following its 3-0 weekend at the Tommie Invitational.
Galvin, from Woodbury, Minn., returned to Schoenecker Arena for the first time since Nov. 19, 2022, to earn a spot on the all-tournament team. She led St. Thomas with 4.0 kills per set and 4.5 points per set while hitting .242 from the floor. Galvin recorded two double doubles over the weekend with 18 kills and 14 digs against Valparaiso and 15 kills and 10 digs against NIU. She also totaled 15 kills with no errors for a .417 hitting percentage in a sweep over Tarleton State.
Voegele, hailing from Plymouth, Minn., earned her second career Summit League Defensive Peak Performer of the Week honor after surpassing the 1,000-career dig mark at the Tommie Invitational. She led the Tommies with 5.92 digs per set and recorded the program's second 30-dig match since joining DI, nothing 30 in the 3-2 win over Valpo.
Summit League Network
All home Tommie Volleyball matches, and all Summit League matches, will be streamed exclusively on the Summit League Network, in partnership with Midco Sports. A subscription-based network, viewers can access all St. Thomas athletics events HERE.
Follow Along
For more information on St. Thomas Volleyball, follow along on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram at @tommievball
Join Us
To reserve your seat to be a part of the Tommies' 2024 season, click HERE to view ticketing information and purchase options.
-- St. Thomas Athletics --
Tickets: Purchase Here
Live Stats: Thursday vs North Dakota / Saturday vs South Dakota State
Watch: Summit League Network
Series History
St. Thomas has seen its greatest Summit League success against North Dakota as the Tommies are 4-3 in the series, including 3-3 since joining the league in 2021. The Purple won the first three matches of the series, that first began in 1979, and are most recently coming off a 3-1 win over UND in St. Paul last season.
In that match, Ellie Gustafson led the Tommies with 17 kills and 13 digs, marking her third of five double-doubles of 2023. Morgan Kealy led with 30 assists and was one dig shy of a double-double.
SDSU is one of three teams St. Thomas has yet to defeat since joining the Summit League in 2021. The Jackrabbits have won 10 straight sets against the Tommies while the Purple have two set wins all-time, both coming in St. Paul.
Ella Voegele averaged 7.5 digs per set between both matches against SDSU last season, while Tezra Rudzitis recorded 3.4 kills per set on a .273 hitting percentage.
Toms On a Roll
St. Thomas volleyball is on a roll with wins in 11 of the last 15 matches, including back-to-back match sweeps at South Dakota and at home against Kansas City Oct. and 5. The Tommies' 11 wins set a new program Division I single-season record and is tied for the second most in the Summit League this season. The Purple's three league wins are also one shy of setting a new DI benchmark.
St. Thomas volleyball earned a balanced four-set win over Oral Roberts on Oct. 10 for its third straight league victory. Tezra Rudzitis led with 15 kills, while Megan Wetter added 14 kills and a .478 hitting percentage. Morgan Kealy recorded her 10th double-double of the season with 43 assists and 11 digs. The Tommies out-hit Oral Roberts .264 to .143 and tallied eight team blocks, with Wetter contributing six. After dropping the second set, St. Thomas regained control with a strong finish in the final two sets, securing a 25-14, 21-25, 25-21, 25-18 victory.
Lauren Galvin's career-high-tying 22 kills and 12 digs weren't enough as St. Thomas Volleyball fell in five sets at Denver (25-22, 21-25, 25-22, 17-25, 14-16). The Tommies saw standout performances from Galvin, who hit .413 with only three errors, and Megan Wetter, who added 12 kills on a .526 hitting percentage with four blocks. Despite leading 13-7 in the final set, the Tommies couldn't hold off Denver's late surge as the Pioneers completed their comeback. Morgan Kealy also notched her 11th double-double of the season with 40 assists, 10 digs, and three blocks.
Welcome to 2024
Head Coach Thanh Pham leads Tommie Volleyball into action for the 22nd season overall and fourth in NCAA Division I play. Joining Pham on the sidelines is assistant coaches Joy Tietz in her fourth season (14th overall at St. Thomas) and Malissa LeClaire and Kevin Rivas in their third seasons. St. Thomas comes off a 7-20 campaign in 2023, including a 3-13 mark in the Summit League. Both win totals marked the most by the program since joining the DI ranks.
The Purple bring back 18 student-athletes from a season ago and introduce one newcomer in true freshman outside hitter Maddy Benka. Besides Benka and Schmotzer, all 18 Tommie returners saw action in 2023.
Seeing Double-Double(s)
Lauren Galvin, Ellie Gustafson and Morgan Kealy have been productive on both ends of the court while combining for 20 double doubles through 18 St. Thomas matches this season. The trio has also combined for 45 career double-doubles.
Galvin recorded back-to-back double-doubles Sept. 6-7 to close out the Tommie Invitational with 18 kills and 14 digs against Valpo and 15 kills and 10 digs against NIU. She added another with 11 kills and 11 digs during the win at Green Bay before tying a career high 22 kills as part of her 17th career double-double at Denver.
Kealy is consistently producing double-doubles with nine over the last 11 matches, dating back to Sept. 7 against Northern Illinois. As part of her double-double Sept. 14 at Milwaukee, Kealy topped the 1,000 career assist mark to become the first Tommie to do so during the DI era. Before being snapped Sept. 28 at UNO, Kealy produced four straight double-doubles with at least 42 assists in each match.
Like Kealy, Gustafson had a three-match streak of double-doubles, recording at least 11 kills in each match for 3.42 kills per set. She recorded a career high 17 digs in the 3-1 win over Chicago State and totaled 15 kills against each Milwaukee and Green Bay before the streak ended Sept. 26 against NDSU. Her team-high 13 kills and 10 digs helped the Tommies to a road sweep over South Dakota for her ninth career double-double.
Meet Us at the Net
Megan Wetter continues to serve as the Tommies' top attack stuffer as she ranks sixth in the Summit League with 1.04 blocks per set. She has led St. Thomas in blocks 12 times and holds the league's fourth-most single-match blocks this season with nine against Valparaiso. Wetter also ranks second in the league with a .323 hitting percentage.
At the season-opening CEFCU Invitational, redshirt freshman Addie Schmotzer flashed her potential on the defensive end while leading the team with 11.0 total blocks. She began her collegiate career with six block assists against Southern Indiana, before setting a career high seven at Denver, and has led the Tommies in blocks in nine matches. Schmotzer ranks 13th in the Summit League with 0.84 blocks per set.
Can You Dig It?
Voegele and the defense of the Tommies has the team near the top nationally in digs, ranking 30th overall and first in the Summit League with 16.71 per set. Voegele ranks 16th nationally and leads the league with 5.04 digs per set. Her 30 digs against Valparaiso is tied for the most by a player in the Summit League this season. Voegele became the first Tommie in the DI era to record 1,000 career digs, 775 coming in the Purple and Gray, doing so Sept. 7 in a 3-1 win over Northern Illinois,
Lead the Attack
Galvin and Rudzitis have powered the offense through the first 18 matches, both ranking among the top 10 of the Summit League in kills per set. Rudzitis is seventh with 3.10 per set and 11th with 3.36 points per set while Galvin is eighth with 3.06 kills per set and 10th with 3.44 points per set. Rudzitis is also 10th in the league with a .260 hitting percentage, including a .288 hitting percentage over the past 11 matches, and has led the Tommies in kills a team-best seven times this season.
Adding to the offensive attack is Wetter who is 18th in the Summit League with 2.40 kills per set and 12th with 3.25 points per set. She has led the Tommies in kills during three matches and has hit over .304 from the floor in eight straight matches.
The First Perfect Non-Conference Tournament
The 2024 Tommie Invitational Volleyball Tournament was a success as the home team came away with a perfect 3-0 record, claiming the tournament title. It's the first tournament title and first three match winning streak during the DI era.
St. Thomas opened its weekend with a sweep over Tarleton State coming off a stellar offensive attack. The Tommies hit .295 on the offensive end with only 11 errors, the best hitting percentage since Oct. 15, 2022, and the fewest errors since Nov. 12, 2022.
The Tommies carried the momentum over to its match against Valparaiso, winning the first two sets. The Beacons came back to win sets three and four but, the Toms made a late surge and scored four of the final five points to win the fifth set.
Galvin and junior Tezra Rudzitis powered the offense and combined for 32 kills to help St. Thomas to a 3-1 win over NIU. Rudzitis tied a career high 17 kills on a .333 hitting percentage.
Summit League Peak Performers of the Week
Senior outside hitter Lauren Galvin and junior defensive specialist/libero Ella Voegele, the St. Thomas Players to Watch as announced by the Summit League in the Preseason Coaches' Poll, became the first Tommie duo to sweep Summit League Peak Performer of the Week honors following its 3-0 weekend at the Tommie Invitational.
Galvin, from Woodbury, Minn., returned to Schoenecker Arena for the first time since Nov. 19, 2022, to earn a spot on the all-tournament team. She led St. Thomas with 4.0 kills per set and 4.5 points per set while hitting .242 from the floor. Galvin recorded two double doubles over the weekend with 18 kills and 14 digs against Valparaiso and 15 kills and 10 digs against NIU. She also totaled 15 kills with no errors for a .417 hitting percentage in a sweep over Tarleton State.
Voegele, hailing from Plymouth, Minn., earned her second career Summit League Defensive Peak Performer of the Week honor after surpassing the 1,000-career dig mark at the Tommie Invitational. She led the Tommies with 5.92 digs per set and recorded the program's second 30-dig match since joining DI, nothing 30 in the 3-2 win over Valpo.
Summit League Network
All home Tommie Volleyball matches, and all Summit League matches, will be streamed exclusively on the Summit League Network, in partnership with Midco Sports. A subscription-based network, viewers can access all St. Thomas athletics events HERE.
Follow Along
For more information on St. Thomas Volleyball, follow along on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram at @tommievball
Join Us
To reserve your seat to be a part of the Tommies' 2024 season, click HERE to view ticketing information and purchase options.
-- St. Thomas Athletics --
Players Mentioned
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