University of St. Thomas Athletics
Thursday, September 26
St. Paul, Minn.
7:00 p.m. Central
vs
North Dakota State
Photo by: Collin Boyles
Volleyball aims to continue hot streak as Summit League matches begin
9/25/2024 11:41:00 AM | Volleyball
St. Thomas to host NDSU Thursday, travel to Omaha Saturday
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- St. Thomas volleyball begins Summit League play with a home-road weekend, beginning Sept. 26 against North Dakota State in St. Paul, Minn., and closing Sept. 28 at Omaha in Omaha, Neb. First serve Thursday against the Bison is scheduled for 7 p.m. while Saturday's match at the Mavericks will start at 3 p.m.
Tickets: Thursday vs. NDSU
Live Stats: Thursday vs. NDSU / Saturday at Omaha
Watch: Summit League Network
Toms On a Roll
St. Thomas volleyball has been on a roll over its past nine matches, going 8-1 over that stretch. The Tommies' eight wins set a new program Division I single-season record and is tied for the second most in the Summit League this season.
The lone blemish over the past nine matches came at No. 19 Minnesota as St. Thomas fell in three sets (20-25, 16-25, 21-25). Morgan Kealy recorded her fourth double-double of the season as the Purple made late charges against the Gophers.
St. Thomas won its second straight non-conference tournament title Sept. 13-14 following wins over Illinois State, Iowa and Milwaukee at the Panther Invitational in Milwaukee, Wis. The matches were the start of a five-match winning streak for the program, the second longest active streak in the Summit League. St. Thomas followed with wins against Chicago State and at Green Bay at the Capital Credit Union Classic for its third straight perfect tournament.
Series History
The Tommies have a combined 1-11 record against North Dakota State and Omaha since joining the Summit League in 2021. The lone victory came Oct. 14 last season at home against North Dakota State, securing a reverse sweep in the process. Allie Kopp led the team with a career high 33 assists while Rudzitis also led the team with a previous career high 16 kills. Kopp totaled 10 assists in the first set alone while Rudzitis was one of three Tommies with five block assists, helping the team tie a season high with 11 total blocks.
Last season in Omaha, the Tommies pushed the Mavericks to five sets before the ultimate loss. Rudzitis recorded another career high with 17 kills on the road and combined for 3.25 kills per set between both meetings against Omaha.
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 15 double doubles through 12 St. Thomas matches this season. The trio has also combined for 40 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 six over the last seven 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. During her three-match double-double streak, Kealy has topped 42 assists in each match with 11.75 assists per set and 2.75 digs per set.
Like Kealy, Gustafson has a double-double over each of the last three matches, 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.
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 1.00 blocks per set. She has led St. Thomas in blocks eight times and holds the league's fourth-most single-match blocks this season with nine against Valparaiso.
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 six matches. Schmotzer ranks 12th 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 seventh overall and first in the Summit League with 17.83 per set. Voegele ranks fourth nationally and leads the league with 5.52 digs per set after totaling 6.11 digs per set during the perfect Capital Credit Union Classic. 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, 686 coming in the Purple and Gray.
Lead the Attack
Galvin and Rudzitis have powered the offense through the first 12 matches, both ranking among the top 10 of the Summit League in kills per set. Rudzitis is sixth with 3.24 per set and seventh with 3.51 points per set while Galvin is eighth with 3.11 kills per set and sixth with 3.74 points per set. Rudzitis is also fourth in the league with a .286 hitting percentage, including a .379 hitting percentage over the past five matches, and has led the Tommies in kills a team-best seven times this season, including the past four consecutive.
Adding to the offensive attack is Gustafson who is 14th in the Summit League with 2.44 kills per set and 19th with 2.78 points per set. She has led the Tommies in kills during three matches, tying Rudzitis against Iowa and Milwaukee. Gustafson has also been reliable on the defensive end as she is 11th in the league with 2.81 digs per set, recording her double-doubles over the past three 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: Thursday vs. NDSU
Live Stats: Thursday vs. NDSU / Saturday at Omaha
Watch: Summit League Network
Toms On a Roll
St. Thomas volleyball has been on a roll over its past nine matches, going 8-1 over that stretch. The Tommies' eight wins set a new program Division I single-season record and is tied for the second most in the Summit League this season.
The lone blemish over the past nine matches came at No. 19 Minnesota as St. Thomas fell in three sets (20-25, 16-25, 21-25). Morgan Kealy recorded her fourth double-double of the season as the Purple made late charges against the Gophers.
St. Thomas won its second straight non-conference tournament title Sept. 13-14 following wins over Illinois State, Iowa and Milwaukee at the Panther Invitational in Milwaukee, Wis. The matches were the start of a five-match winning streak for the program, the second longest active streak in the Summit League. St. Thomas followed with wins against Chicago State and at Green Bay at the Capital Credit Union Classic for its third straight perfect tournament.
Series History
The Tommies have a combined 1-11 record against North Dakota State and Omaha since joining the Summit League in 2021. The lone victory came Oct. 14 last season at home against North Dakota State, securing a reverse sweep in the process. Allie Kopp led the team with a career high 33 assists while Rudzitis also led the team with a previous career high 16 kills. Kopp totaled 10 assists in the first set alone while Rudzitis was one of three Tommies with five block assists, helping the team tie a season high with 11 total blocks.
Last season in Omaha, the Tommies pushed the Mavericks to five sets before the ultimate loss. Rudzitis recorded another career high with 17 kills on the road and combined for 3.25 kills per set between both meetings against Omaha.
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 15 double doubles through 12 St. Thomas matches this season. The trio has also combined for 40 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 six over the last seven 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. During her three-match double-double streak, Kealy has topped 42 assists in each match with 11.75 assists per set and 2.75 digs per set.
Like Kealy, Gustafson has a double-double over each of the last three matches, 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.
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 1.00 blocks per set. She has led St. Thomas in blocks eight times and holds the league's fourth-most single-match blocks this season with nine against Valparaiso.
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 six matches. Schmotzer ranks 12th 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 seventh overall and first in the Summit League with 17.83 per set. Voegele ranks fourth nationally and leads the league with 5.52 digs per set after totaling 6.11 digs per set during the perfect Capital Credit Union Classic. 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, 686 coming in the Purple and Gray.
Lead the Attack
Galvin and Rudzitis have powered the offense through the first 12 matches, both ranking among the top 10 of the Summit League in kills per set. Rudzitis is sixth with 3.24 per set and seventh with 3.51 points per set while Galvin is eighth with 3.11 kills per set and sixth with 3.74 points per set. Rudzitis is also fourth in the league with a .286 hitting percentage, including a .379 hitting percentage over the past five matches, and has led the Tommies in kills a team-best seven times this season, including the past four consecutive.
Adding to the offensive attack is Gustafson who is 14th in the Summit League with 2.44 kills per set and 19th with 2.78 points per set. She has led the Tommies in kills during three matches, tying Rudzitis against Iowa and Milwaukee. Gustafson has also been reliable on the defensive end as she is 11th in the league with 2.81 digs per set, recording her double-doubles over the past three 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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