Kealy tallies 28th career double-double in 3-2 loss to Ball State

ST. PAUL, MINN. – St. Thomas Volleyball setter Morgan Kealy notched yet another double-double performance during the first match of her junior season as the team fell in five sets to Ball State (21-25, 25-20, 25-15, 18-25, 8-15) to begin the Golden Gopher Invitational in Minneapolis.

SCORING SUMMARY
Set One: Ball State jumped out to a 5–0 lead and controlled the early tempo behind kills from Noelle VanOort and Carson Tyler. St. Thomas rallied midway through with strong swings from Megan Wetter and Anya Schmidt to close within one at 18–17, but Ball State's offense steadied late. VanOort and Tyler combined for the final points to seal the opener.

Set Two: The Tommies responded with poise, overcoming an early 7–2 deficit fueled by Ball State's serving run. St. Thomas used a balanced attack from Wetter, Schmidt, and Ellie Gustafson to claw back and eventually take control. Kealy distributed effectively, while timely defense extended rallies. St. Thomas closed with three straight points, capped by a Rudzitis kill and Ball State error, to even the match.

Set Three: Momentum carried over as the Tommies dominated the third. Ella Voegele's serving run, including two aces, sparked a 12–2 opening burst. Rudzitis, Gustafson, and Schmidt were efficient at the net, while Wetter added timely blocks. Ball State never recovered from the slow start, and St. Thomas cruised to a double-digit win, taking a 2–1 match lead.

Set Four: With their backs against the wall, the Cardinals regrouped. VanOort and Wise sparked early runs, and Ball State's blocking turned away multiple Tommie attacks. St. Thomas battled behind Gustafson and Schmidt, cutting the deficit to 15–18, but Ball State closed strong with a 7–3 finishing stretch.

Set Five: The deciding frame belonged to Ball State. After trading points early, the Cardinals capitalized on Tommie errors and a string of kills from Tyler and VanOort to build a 10–5 lead. St. Thomas struggled to side out consistently, and Ball State finished on a 5–3 run to take the match, 3–2.

TOMMIE TIDBITS

The Tommies' most recent five-set match was Nov. 7 when St. Thomas beat (RV) South Dakota State on the road, ending the Jackrabbits' perfect 22-0 start. The Tommies were 4-2 in five-set matches last season and are 10-7 since 2021.
St. Thomas' 60 kills ties the program's eighth most in a match since 2021, while its 75.0 points are tied for the 10th most in a match.
Junior Morgan Kealy recorded her 28th career double-double after dishing 47 assists along with 17 digs, both team highs. The 47 assists was 6 shy of her career high, good for third most in a match for the Tommies in the Division I era, while she was 1 dig shy of tying her career high.
Junior Ellie Gustafson led the team with 16 kills on a .238 hitting percentage, coming up one dig shy of a double-double. She combined for 14 kills between sets 2-4, including 6 in the set four loss.
Senior Megan Wetter totaled 11 kills on a team-best .435 hitting percentage to go along with a team-high five blocks.
Senior Tezra Rudzitis finished with 14 kills on a .216 hitting percentage while freshman Anya Schmidt added 13 kills, 8 digs, 3 assists and 1 service ace. Senior Ella Voegele led all players with 3 service aces and totaled 16 digs.

QUOTEABLES
Head coach Thanh Pham thoughts on Friday's season opener against Ball State
"Although we didn't get the result we wanted, I was pleased with our effort and balance. We will use that match as a learning experience as we continue this season. There were many bright spots and things to like. This tough weekend will prepare us for a tough conference schedule.

UP NEXT
St. Thomas returns to Maturi Pavilion Saturday, August 30 at 2 p.m. to face Cal Poly in the second match of the Golden Gopher Invitational.

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 --

Kealy tallies 28th career double-double in 3-2 loss to Ball State

Next Event

Team Stats

Ellie Gustafson

Tezra Rudzitis

Anya Schmidt

Megan Wetter

Players Mentioned

Ellie Gustafson

Morgan Kealy

Tezra Rudzitis

Anya Schmidt

Ella Voegele

Megan Wetter

University of St. Thomas Athletics