University of St. Thomas Athletics
Thursday, October 31
St. Paul, Minn.
7:00 p.m. Central
vs
Denver
Photo by: George Dannecker
Volleyball ready for holiday festivities at home versus Denver, Omaha
10/30/2024 9:18:00 AM | Volleyball
Tommies to host Voll-o-ween Oct. 31 and Youth Volleyball Day Nov. 2
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The University of St. Thomas volleyball team returns home this week for a pair of key Summit League matchups at Schoenecker Arena in St. Paul, Minn. The Tommies will face Denver on Oct. 31 in a Voll-o-ween match before hosting Omaha on Nov. 2 during Youth Volleyball Day.
Students will receive a special Voll-o-ween t-shirt and are also encouraged to wear costumes to celebrate while young fans will have the opportunity to meet the student-athletes during post-match autographs on Saturday.
Tickets: Purchase Here
Live Stats: Thursday vs Denver / Saturday vs Omaha
Watch: Summit League Network
Series History
St. Thomas is in search of its first wins of the series against both Denver and Omaha, going 0-7 against each since joining the Summit League in 2021. The Tommies fell to the Pioneers in five sets (25-22, 21-25, 25-22, 17-25, 14-16) on Oct. 12 and was swept by the Mavericks (15-25, 19-25, 20-25) on Sept. 28.
Senior Lauren Galvin led the Tommies with a career-high-tying 22 kills and added 12 digs, marking her fifth double-double of the season, during the first meeting with the Pioneers. St. Thomas initially showed strength, winning the first and third sets, but Denver rallied in the fourth and ultimately took the match with a comeback in the final set, scoring nine of the last 10 points. Alongside Galvin, standout performances included Megan Wetter's 12 kills on a .526 hitting percentage and Morgan Kealy's 40 assists, 10 digs, and three blocks.
Junior Megan Wetter led the Tommies for the second consecutive match to open league play with a team-high nine kills and two blocks, while Tezra Rudzitis and Lauren Galvin each added six kills. Ellie Gustafson contributed four kills and led the defense with 10 digs. Despite a close third set with three lead changes, Omaha's .298 hitting percentage and 11 team blocks outpaced the Tommies, who hit just .088 and managed only four blocks.
Toms On a Roll
St. Thomas volleyball is on a roll with wins in 13 of the last 19 matches and five of the last eight, including back-to-back match sweeps at South Dakota and at home against Kansas City Oct. 3 and 5. The Tommies' 13 wins set a new program Division I single-season record and is third most in the Summit League this season. The Purple's five league wins also set a new DI benchmark.
St. Thomas volleyball fought back from a two-set deficit but ultimately fell to North Dakota State (21-25, 25-27, 28-26, 25-22, 12-15) on Oct. 24. The Tommies were led by Tezra Rudzitis and Megan Wetter, who each recorded 16 kills, with Rudzitis hitting .538, her second highest mark this season. Ellie Gustafson added 13 kills and 10 digs for her sixth double-double, while Morgan Kealy notched 37 assists and 12 digs. St. Thomas rallied in set three, staving off match point to win in extra points and forced a fifth set with a hard-fought fourth.
St. Thomas Volleyball swept North Dakota on the road in a decisive straight-set victory on Oct. 26 (25-18, 25-15, 25-20). The Tommies were led by Megan Wetter, who notched 13 kills with a career-high .619 hitting percentage. Morgan Kealy also contributed with 35 assists and 12 digs, marking her 14th double-double of the season, while Tezra Rudzitis added nine kills on a .333 hitting percentage. Libero Ella Voegele anchored the defense with a match-high 18 digs as St. Thomas completed the season series sweep over North Dakota.
Seeing Double-Double(s)
Lauren Galvin, Ellie Gustafson and Morgan Kealy have been productive on both ends of the court while combining for 27 double doubles through 22 St. Thomas matches this season. The trio has also combined for 51 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 12 over the last 15 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 eighth in the Summit League with 1.00 block per set. She has led St. Thomas in blocks 13 times and holds the league's fifth-most single-match blocks this season with nine against Valparaiso. Wetter also ranks fifth in the league with a .321 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 11 matches. Schmotzer ranks 14th in the Summit League with 0.82 blocks per set.
Can You Dig It?
Voegele and the defense of the Tommies has the team near the top nationally in digs, ranking 27th overall and first in the Summit League with 16.80 per set. Voegele ranks tied for 22nd nationally and leads the league with 4.92 digs per set. Her 30 digs against Valparaiso is tied for second 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, 840 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 20 matches, both ranking among the top 10 of the Summit League in kills per set. Rudzitis is seventh with 3.12 per set and 11th with 3.39 points per set while Galvin is ninth with 2.99 kills per set and 13th with 3.34 points per set. Rudzitis is also eighth in the league with a .275 hitting percentage and has led the team in kills in nine matches, one more than Galvin for the team lead.
Adding to the offensive attack is Wetter who is 15th in the Summit League with 2.53 kills per set and 12th with 3.35 points per set. She has led the Tommies in kills during five matches and has hit over .304 from the floor in nine of the last 10 matches
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.
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 --
Students will receive a special Voll-o-ween t-shirt and are also encouraged to wear costumes to celebrate while young fans will have the opportunity to meet the student-athletes during post-match autographs on Saturday.
Tickets: Purchase Here
Live Stats: Thursday vs Denver / Saturday vs Omaha
Watch: Summit League Network
Series History
St. Thomas is in search of its first wins of the series against both Denver and Omaha, going 0-7 against each since joining the Summit League in 2021. The Tommies fell to the Pioneers in five sets (25-22, 21-25, 25-22, 17-25, 14-16) on Oct. 12 and was swept by the Mavericks (15-25, 19-25, 20-25) on Sept. 28.
Senior Lauren Galvin led the Tommies with a career-high-tying 22 kills and added 12 digs, marking her fifth double-double of the season, during the first meeting with the Pioneers. St. Thomas initially showed strength, winning the first and third sets, but Denver rallied in the fourth and ultimately took the match with a comeback in the final set, scoring nine of the last 10 points. Alongside Galvin, standout performances included Megan Wetter's 12 kills on a .526 hitting percentage and Morgan Kealy's 40 assists, 10 digs, and three blocks.
Junior Megan Wetter led the Tommies for the second consecutive match to open league play with a team-high nine kills and two blocks, while Tezra Rudzitis and Lauren Galvin each added six kills. Ellie Gustafson contributed four kills and led the defense with 10 digs. Despite a close third set with three lead changes, Omaha's .298 hitting percentage and 11 team blocks outpaced the Tommies, who hit just .088 and managed only four blocks.
Toms On a Roll
St. Thomas volleyball is on a roll with wins in 13 of the last 19 matches and five of the last eight, including back-to-back match sweeps at South Dakota and at home against Kansas City Oct. 3 and 5. The Tommies' 13 wins set a new program Division I single-season record and is third most in the Summit League this season. The Purple's five league wins also set a new DI benchmark.
St. Thomas volleyball fought back from a two-set deficit but ultimately fell to North Dakota State (21-25, 25-27, 28-26, 25-22, 12-15) on Oct. 24. The Tommies were led by Tezra Rudzitis and Megan Wetter, who each recorded 16 kills, with Rudzitis hitting .538, her second highest mark this season. Ellie Gustafson added 13 kills and 10 digs for her sixth double-double, while Morgan Kealy notched 37 assists and 12 digs. St. Thomas rallied in set three, staving off match point to win in extra points and forced a fifth set with a hard-fought fourth.
St. Thomas Volleyball swept North Dakota on the road in a decisive straight-set victory on Oct. 26 (25-18, 25-15, 25-20). The Tommies were led by Megan Wetter, who notched 13 kills with a career-high .619 hitting percentage. Morgan Kealy also contributed with 35 assists and 12 digs, marking her 14th double-double of the season, while Tezra Rudzitis added nine kills on a .333 hitting percentage. Libero Ella Voegele anchored the defense with a match-high 18 digs as St. Thomas completed the season series sweep over North Dakota.
Seeing Double-Double(s)
Lauren Galvin, Ellie Gustafson and Morgan Kealy have been productive on both ends of the court while combining for 27 double doubles through 22 St. Thomas matches this season. The trio has also combined for 51 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 12 over the last 15 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 eighth in the Summit League with 1.00 block per set. She has led St. Thomas in blocks 13 times and holds the league's fifth-most single-match blocks this season with nine against Valparaiso. Wetter also ranks fifth in the league with a .321 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 11 matches. Schmotzer ranks 14th in the Summit League with 0.82 blocks per set.
Can You Dig It?
Voegele and the defense of the Tommies has the team near the top nationally in digs, ranking 27th overall and first in the Summit League with 16.80 per set. Voegele ranks tied for 22nd nationally and leads the league with 4.92 digs per set. Her 30 digs against Valparaiso is tied for second 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, 840 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 20 matches, both ranking among the top 10 of the Summit League in kills per set. Rudzitis is seventh with 3.12 per set and 11th with 3.39 points per set while Galvin is ninth with 2.99 kills per set and 13th with 3.34 points per set. Rudzitis is also eighth in the league with a .275 hitting percentage and has led the team in kills in nine matches, one more than Galvin for the team lead.
Adding to the offensive attack is Wetter who is 15th in the Summit League with 2.53 kills per set and 12th with 3.35 points per set. She has led the Tommies in kills during five matches and has hit over .304 from the floor in nine of the last 10 matches
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.
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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