University of St. Thomas Athletics
Thursday, October 10
Tulsa, Okla / Mabee Center
7:00 p.m. Central
at
Oral Roberts
Photo by: Abby Bondi
St. Thomas goes West for road trip at Oral Roberts and Denver
10/9/2024 2:51:00 PM | Volleyball
Tommies play Golden Eagles Thursday night and Pioneers Saturday afternoon
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The St. Thomas volleyball program travels West for a road trip Oct. 9 at Oral Roberts and Oct. 11 at Denver. The Tommies and Golden Eagles put up first serve at 7 p.m. Thursday from Tulsa, Okla., before a 2 p.m. CDT start time against the Pioneers on Saturday in Denver.
Live Stats: Thursday at Oral Roberts / Saturday at Denver
Watch: Summit League Network
Series History
St. Thomas recorded its first win over Oral Roberts in four sets during the final weekend of 2023 and are aiming to add another program first win against Denver. Overall, the Tommies are 1-5 against the Golden Eagles and 0-6 against the Pioneers.
Sophomore Ellie Gustafson totaled double-doubles in both matches against ORU last season, beginning with a team-high 13 kills and 19 digs in St. Paul before adding 10 kills and a career high 23 digs during the win in Tulsa. Junior Ella Voegele set a program record 33 digs during the four-set win over ORU. Junior Kaitlynn Peterson led the team with 21 digs during the loss while senior Libby Mattila paced the Tommies with 14 kills in the win.
Gustafson recorded double digit kills in both matches against Denver in 2023, leading St. Thomas with 13 along with nine digs in St. Paul before totaling 10 kills with seven digs in Denver. Sophomore Morgan Kealy tallied one of her eight season double-doubles with 29 assists and 11 digs in St. Paul.
Toms On a Roll
St. Thomas volleyball is on a roll with wins in 10 of the last 13 matches, including back-to-back sweeps at South Dakota and at home against Kansas City during its last week of action. The Tommies' 10 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 had a stellar weekend Oct. 3 and 5, beginning with a sweep against South Dakota (25-18, 26-24, 25-20). The Tommies' balanced attack led them to hit .318 against the Coyotes while committing only nine errors. Notably, the match was only the second time South Dakota had been swept this season, and St. Thomas made history by breaking South Dakota's 96-match streak without being swept in regular-season conference play.
The momentum continued as the Tommies swept Kansas City (25-17, 25-17, 25-22), earning their second straight sweep of the weekend. The victory marked St. Thomas' first program win over Kansas City. Megan Wetter led the team with 11 kills, while Tezra Rudzitis added 10, and Ella Voegele anchored the defense with 18 digs. The Tommies showed their dominance with a .333 hitting percentage.
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 17 double doubles through 16 St. Thomas matches this season. The trio has also combined for 42 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 her 16th career double-double and fourth of the season with 11 kills and 11 digs during the win at Green Bay.
Kealy is consistently producing double-doubles with seven over the last nine 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 1.03 blocks per set. She has led St. Thomas in blocks 11 times and holds the league's fourth-most single-match blocks this season with nine against Valparaiso. Wetter also ranks fifth in the league with a .300 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, tying a career high six blocks in two other matches, and has led the Tommies in blocks in eight matches. Schmotzer ranks 13th in the Summit League with 0.83 blocks per set.
Can You Dig It?
Voegele and the defense of the Tommies has the team near the top nationally in digs, ranking 20th overall and first in the Summit League with 17.14 per set. Voegele ranks 11th nationally and leads the league with 5.14 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, 735 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 16 matches, both ranking among the top 10 of the Summit League in kills per set. Rudzitis is fifth with 3.19 per set and seventh with 3.45 points per set while Galvin is eighth with 2.98 kills per set and 10th with 3.40 points per set. Rudzitis is also ninth in the league with a .272 hitting percentage, including a .315 hitting percentage over the past nine matches, and has led the Tommies in kills a team-best seven times this season.
Adding to the offensive attack is Gustafson who is 17th in the Summit League with 2.49 kills per set and 18th with 2.83 points per set. She has led the Tommies in kills during four matches. Gustafson has also been reliable on the defensive end as she is eighth in the league with 2.82 digs per set, recording double-doubles in four of the last six 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 --
Live Stats: Thursday at Oral Roberts / Saturday at Denver
Watch: Summit League Network
Series History
St. Thomas recorded its first win over Oral Roberts in four sets during the final weekend of 2023 and are aiming to add another program first win against Denver. Overall, the Tommies are 1-5 against the Golden Eagles and 0-6 against the Pioneers.
Sophomore Ellie Gustafson totaled double-doubles in both matches against ORU last season, beginning with a team-high 13 kills and 19 digs in St. Paul before adding 10 kills and a career high 23 digs during the win in Tulsa. Junior Ella Voegele set a program record 33 digs during the four-set win over ORU. Junior Kaitlynn Peterson led the team with 21 digs during the loss while senior Libby Mattila paced the Tommies with 14 kills in the win.
Gustafson recorded double digit kills in both matches against Denver in 2023, leading St. Thomas with 13 along with nine digs in St. Paul before totaling 10 kills with seven digs in Denver. Sophomore Morgan Kealy tallied one of her eight season double-doubles with 29 assists and 11 digs in St. Paul.
Toms On a Roll
St. Thomas volleyball is on a roll with wins in 10 of the last 13 matches, including back-to-back sweeps at South Dakota and at home against Kansas City during its last week of action. The Tommies' 10 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 had a stellar weekend Oct. 3 and 5, beginning with a sweep against South Dakota (25-18, 26-24, 25-20). The Tommies' balanced attack led them to hit .318 against the Coyotes while committing only nine errors. Notably, the match was only the second time South Dakota had been swept this season, and St. Thomas made history by breaking South Dakota's 96-match streak without being swept in regular-season conference play.
The momentum continued as the Tommies swept Kansas City (25-17, 25-17, 25-22), earning their second straight sweep of the weekend. The victory marked St. Thomas' first program win over Kansas City. Megan Wetter led the team with 11 kills, while Tezra Rudzitis added 10, and Ella Voegele anchored the defense with 18 digs. The Tommies showed their dominance with a .333 hitting percentage.
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 17 double doubles through 16 St. Thomas matches this season. The trio has also combined for 42 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 her 16th career double-double and fourth of the season with 11 kills and 11 digs during the win at Green Bay.
Kealy is consistently producing double-doubles with seven over the last nine 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 1.03 blocks per set. She has led St. Thomas in blocks 11 times and holds the league's fourth-most single-match blocks this season with nine against Valparaiso. Wetter also ranks fifth in the league with a .300 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, tying a career high six blocks in two other matches, and has led the Tommies in blocks in eight matches. Schmotzer ranks 13th in the Summit League with 0.83 blocks per set.
Can You Dig It?
Voegele and the defense of the Tommies has the team near the top nationally in digs, ranking 20th overall and first in the Summit League with 17.14 per set. Voegele ranks 11th nationally and leads the league with 5.14 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, 735 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 16 matches, both ranking among the top 10 of the Summit League in kills per set. Rudzitis is fifth with 3.19 per set and seventh with 3.45 points per set while Galvin is eighth with 2.98 kills per set and 10th with 3.40 points per set. Rudzitis is also ninth in the league with a .272 hitting percentage, including a .315 hitting percentage over the past nine matches, and has led the Tommies in kills a team-best seven times this season.
Adding to the offensive attack is Gustafson who is 17th in the Summit League with 2.49 kills per set and 18th with 2.83 points per set. She has led the Tommies in kills during four matches. Gustafson has also been reliable on the defensive end as she is eighth in the league with 2.82 digs per set, recording double-doubles in four of the last six 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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