Rudzitis reaches 1,000 career kills during loss at NDSU

FARGO, N.D. – Senior opposite hitter Tezra Rudzitis became the second Tommie of the Division I era to reach 1,000 career kills as she did so Thursday night during a 3-1 loss (25-18, 25-13, 25-15, 25-22) at North Dakota State University in Fargo, N.D. Rudzitis finished with 10 kills and 3 blocks following senior middle blocker Megan Wetter with 11 kills and 6 blocks as St. Thomas falls to 16-9 overall and 9-5 in league play.

SCORING SUMMARY
Set One: Both teams traded momentum early with five lead changes before St. Thomas broke through with a 6-0 run, capped by back-to-back kills from Tezra Rudzitis — the second marking her 1,000th career kill. NDSU responded with a 4-0 push to tie the frame at 13-13, but the Tommies regained control behind two more Rudzitis kills and a finish from Addie Schmotzer as part of a 4-1 run for a 19-15 lead. St. Thomas closed the set with five straight points, aided by three Bison attack errors, with Schmotzer putting down the final swing for the 25-18 win.

Set Two: The Tommies again started fast with a 4-0 lead behind two kills and two blocks from Megan Wetter, including both a solo and assisted stop. A block assist from Wetter and Ellie Gustafson extended the advantage to 7-2, but NDSU seized control with a decisive 12-1 run to go ahead 17-10. After leading 8-3, St. Thomas managed just five more points and hit -.114 in the frame as the Bison evened the match.

Set Three: St. Thomas opened the third set with a 4-1 lead sparked by an ace from Gustafson, but the margin never grew beyond three. The Bison answered with a 10-2 surge to build a 15-10 lead and maintained control the rest of the way. The Tommies hit .130 in the set while NDSU continued to apply pressure, taking the frame 25-15.

Set Four: NDSU claimed early momentum with a 7-2 run capped by an ace, prompting a Tommie timeout. St. Thomas responded with steady pressure to pull within one and eventually tie the set at 18-18 as the Bison committed a series of attack errors. NDSU recovered late, however, setting up match point at 25-20 before a kill by Wetter and another Bison error closed the night in a 3-1 decision.

TOMMIE TIDBITS

Tezra Rudzitis became the second Tommie of the Division I era to reach 1,000 career kills, joining Lauren Galvin (2021–24). She finished with 10 kills and three blocks for 11.5 points.
Megan Wetter paced the offense with 11 kills on a .261 hitting percentage and led the front line with six blocks, including four assists.
Morgan Kealy directed the attack with 30 assists and collected a team-high 12 digs for her 43rd career double-double.
St. Thomas hit .089, its lowest percentage of the season, while NDSU hit .223 and totaled eight service aces.
St. Thomas has qualified for the six-team Summit League Tournament, to be held Nov. 23–25 in Brookings, S.D., with final seeding still to be determined.

UP NEXT
St. Thomas closes its road schedule Saturday, Nov. 15 with a 2 p.m. first serve at North Dakota. The Tommies then return home Tuesday, Nov. 18 to host Senior Night at 7 p.m. against Oral Roberts.

FOLLOW ALONG
For more information on St. Thomas Volleyball, follow along on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram at @tommievball. Tommie Athletics is now available on TikTok at @TommieSports.

JOIN US
To reserve your seat to be a part of the Tommies' 2025 season, click HERE to view ticketing information and purchase options.

-- St. Thomas Athletics --

Rudzitis reaches 1,000 career kills during loss at NDSU

Next Event

Team Stats

Megan Wetter

Tezra Rudzitis

Addie Schmotzer

Anya Schmidt

Players Mentioned

Lauren Galvin

Ellie Gustafson

Morgan Kealy

Tezra Rudzitis

Addie Schmotzer

Megan Wetter

University of St. Thomas Athletics