University of St. Thomas Athletics
Friday, September 12
Smithfield, R.I.
9:00 a.m. CT
vs
Army
Tommies head to Rhode Island for Bryant Invitational Sept. 12-13
9/11/2025 10:09:00 AM | Volleyball
Bryant hosts St. Thomas, Army and Stony Brook in Smithfield, R.I.
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Tommies head into the back end of its non-conference schedule with a trip Sept. 12-13 to take part in the Bryant Invitational. St. Thomas faces both Army and Bryant on Friday to open the tournament before closing Saturday against Stony Brook.
The Purple enter the weekend 3-3 overall after sweeping for the tournament title at the Molly Howard-Gerwig Memorial Tournament Sept. 5-6 in Houston.
Live Media
Live Stats: vs. Army | at Bryant | vs. Stony Brook
Stream/Live Video: vs. Army | at Bryant | vs. Stony Brook
Series History
St. Thomas has never played Army or Bryant.
St. Thomas and Stony Brook have played once all-time, coming as the eighth-ever Division match for the Tommies in 2021. The Seawolves came away with a sweep (25-20, 25-17, 25-10) at their home tournament in Stony Brook, N.Y.
Ready to Dance
With the transition in the rear-view mirror, St. Thomas is beginning its first season as a postseason-tournament-eligible program within NCAA Division I. That includes the Summit League tournament, in which the Tommies were not able to participate over the four-season transition period. Initially a five-year transition period, the NCAA Division I Council voted in January in favor of a reduction to the department's provisional period from five to four years. The NCAA later announced in June that St. Thomas had completed its reclassification process and is fully eligible to compete in postseason play, including the Summit League Tournament hosted Nov. 23-25 in Brookings, S.D.
Houston's MVP
Junior outside hitter Ellie Gustafson was selected as the Molly Howard-Gerwig Memorial Tournament MVP after a standout weekend in Houston. Gustafson led the Tommies with 3.80 kills per set and 38 total kills on a .337 hitting percentage, while also averaging 3.10 digs per set and a perfect 63-for-63 in serve receive. She opened the tournament with back-to-back double-doubles, recording 14 kills, 10 digs vs. Houston Christian and 14 kills, 14 digs vs. Bethune-Cookman, before capping the weekend with 10 kills, 7 digs, and 1 ace in the win over Southern Mississippi.
Joining Gustafson on the All-Tournament Team were senior middle blocker Megan Wetter and junior setter Morgan Kealy. Wetter averaged 3.20 kills per set, highlighted by 10 kills vs. Houston Christian and a career-high 17 kills vs. Bethune-Cookman, while hitting efficiently (.566) throughout the tournament. Kealy directed the offense with 10.40 assists per set and tallied two double-doubles, posting 27 assists, 11 digs in the opener and 46 assists, 10 digs against Bethune-Cookman, before closing with 31 assists, 9 digs vs. Southern Miss.
Season-Opening Double-Digit Kill Streak
Junior outside hitter Ellie Gustafson has opened the 2025 campaign with six straight double-digit kill performances, becoming the first Tommie to do so since Taylor Lewis in 2016 (11 straight). The streak is also the longest of the Division I era, surpassing Lauren Galvin's three-match run to begin 2023. Gustafson is tied with teammate Tezra Rudzitis for the team lead at 3.36 kills per set and 74 total kills. She posted a season-high 16 kills against Ball State, added two 14-kill outings, and recorded 10 kills in three additional matches.
Rounding the Non-Conference Corner
After going 7-29 through the program's first 13 non-conference tournaments of the Division I era, the Tommies have now gone 11-3 through the previous five tournaments dating back to Sept. 5, 2024, including eight straight tournament matches to conclude the 2024 non-conference season.
Rudzit-Is the Player of the Week
Senior opposite Tezra Rudzitis earned her first career Summit League Offensive Player of the Week honor after a standout opening weekend at the Golden Gopher Invitational. She became just the third Tommie in the Division I era to open a season with three straight double-digit kill matches, averaging 3.58 kills per set on a .305 attack percentage. Rudzitis posted 14 kills against Ball State, hit .550 with 11 kills against Cal Poly, and tied her career high with 18 kills against No. 11 Minnesota. She totaled 45.0 points across three matches, adding three blocks, and was also named to the All-Tournament Team. The honor marks the third Summit League offensive weekly award and sixth overall in program history.
Taking 1 from No. 11
St. Thomas battled No. 11 Minnesota to four sets in a 3-1 loss, marking the program's first-ever set victory against a nationally ranked opponent. Rudzitis tied her career high with 18 kills on .263 hitting, capping a weekend that earned her Golden Gopher Invitational All-Tournament Team honors. Freshman outside Anya Schmidt posted her first career double-double with 12 kills and 12 digs, while junior Ellie Gustafson recorded her third straight double-digit kill match to open the season.
High Preseason Praise
After finishing third in the Summit League standings a season ago, the Tommies were picked to finish third in the 2025 Summit League Preseason Coaches' Poll. It's the highest preseason selection since joining the league in 2021. St. Thomas totaled 48 points behind South Dakota State with 62 points and 6 first-place votes and South Dakota with 57 points and 3 first-place votes. Setter Morgan Kealy and middle blocker Megan Wetter were named the program's Players to Watch.
Loaded on the Upper End
What Tommie Volleyball lacked to start the Division I era has now become a strength of the team: 14 of the team's 21 athletes are upperclassmen. Among the upperclassmen, nine are seniors with seven being a part of the program over each of the past four seasons. Kaitlynn Peterson and Ella Voegele transferred into the program before the 2023 season. Of the nine seniors on the roster, all but one call the state of Minnesota home as the eight are from within 45 miles of the St. Thomas campus.
Veteran Leadership
Head Coach Thanh Pham enters his 23rd season leading St. Thomas, the longest-tenured head coach in the Summit League. He is set to coach in his 700th career match this season. Pham's culture and patience paid off during the final season of transition as the Tommies put together their most successful Division I campaign. The Purple finished 18-12 overall, becoming just the sixth transitioning program since 2011 to reach at least 18 wins and the first since 2018.
With the exit of 2012 St. Thomas Hall of Fame top assistant coach Joy Tietz, Pham added Minnesota Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Famer Jackie Richter, a Minnesota prep coaching legend, as the next top assistant. Richter most recently served as the head coach at Lakeville North High School where she won the 2017 Minnesota State Championship during four state tournament appearances. She was twice named Minnesota State Coach of the Year (2017, 2022) and was a Minnesota Sports Awards Coach of the Year finalist (2018).
A Breakthrough 2024 Season
The Purple enter the weekend 3-3 overall after sweeping for the tournament title at the Molly Howard-Gerwig Memorial Tournament Sept. 5-6 in Houston.
Live Media
Live Stats: vs. Army | at Bryant | vs. Stony Brook
Stream/Live Video: vs. Army | at Bryant | vs. Stony Brook
Series History
St. Thomas has never played Army or Bryant.
St. Thomas and Stony Brook have played once all-time, coming as the eighth-ever Division match for the Tommies in 2021. The Seawolves came away with a sweep (25-20, 25-17, 25-10) at their home tournament in Stony Brook, N.Y.
Ready to Dance
With the transition in the rear-view mirror, St. Thomas is beginning its first season as a postseason-tournament-eligible program within NCAA Division I. That includes the Summit League tournament, in which the Tommies were not able to participate over the four-season transition period. Initially a five-year transition period, the NCAA Division I Council voted in January in favor of a reduction to the department's provisional period from five to four years. The NCAA later announced in June that St. Thomas had completed its reclassification process and is fully eligible to compete in postseason play, including the Summit League Tournament hosted Nov. 23-25 in Brookings, S.D.
Houston's MVP
Junior outside hitter Ellie Gustafson was selected as the Molly Howard-Gerwig Memorial Tournament MVP after a standout weekend in Houston. Gustafson led the Tommies with 3.80 kills per set and 38 total kills on a .337 hitting percentage, while also averaging 3.10 digs per set and a perfect 63-for-63 in serve receive. She opened the tournament with back-to-back double-doubles, recording 14 kills, 10 digs vs. Houston Christian and 14 kills, 14 digs vs. Bethune-Cookman, before capping the weekend with 10 kills, 7 digs, and 1 ace in the win over Southern Mississippi.
Joining Gustafson on the All-Tournament Team were senior middle blocker Megan Wetter and junior setter Morgan Kealy. Wetter averaged 3.20 kills per set, highlighted by 10 kills vs. Houston Christian and a career-high 17 kills vs. Bethune-Cookman, while hitting efficiently (.566) throughout the tournament. Kealy directed the offense with 10.40 assists per set and tallied two double-doubles, posting 27 assists, 11 digs in the opener and 46 assists, 10 digs against Bethune-Cookman, before closing with 31 assists, 9 digs vs. Southern Miss.
Season-Opening Double-Digit Kill Streak
Junior outside hitter Ellie Gustafson has opened the 2025 campaign with six straight double-digit kill performances, becoming the first Tommie to do so since Taylor Lewis in 2016 (11 straight). The streak is also the longest of the Division I era, surpassing Lauren Galvin's three-match run to begin 2023. Gustafson is tied with teammate Tezra Rudzitis for the team lead at 3.36 kills per set and 74 total kills. She posted a season-high 16 kills against Ball State, added two 14-kill outings, and recorded 10 kills in three additional matches.
Rounding the Non-Conference Corner
After going 7-29 through the program's first 13 non-conference tournaments of the Division I era, the Tommies have now gone 11-3 through the previous five tournaments dating back to Sept. 5, 2024, including eight straight tournament matches to conclude the 2024 non-conference season.
Rudzit-Is the Player of the Week
Senior opposite Tezra Rudzitis earned her first career Summit League Offensive Player of the Week honor after a standout opening weekend at the Golden Gopher Invitational. She became just the third Tommie in the Division I era to open a season with three straight double-digit kill matches, averaging 3.58 kills per set on a .305 attack percentage. Rudzitis posted 14 kills against Ball State, hit .550 with 11 kills against Cal Poly, and tied her career high with 18 kills against No. 11 Minnesota. She totaled 45.0 points across three matches, adding three blocks, and was also named to the All-Tournament Team. The honor marks the third Summit League offensive weekly award and sixth overall in program history.
Taking 1 from No. 11
St. Thomas battled No. 11 Minnesota to four sets in a 3-1 loss, marking the program's first-ever set victory against a nationally ranked opponent. Rudzitis tied her career high with 18 kills on .263 hitting, capping a weekend that earned her Golden Gopher Invitational All-Tournament Team honors. Freshman outside Anya Schmidt posted her first career double-double with 12 kills and 12 digs, while junior Ellie Gustafson recorded her third straight double-digit kill match to open the season.
High Preseason Praise
After finishing third in the Summit League standings a season ago, the Tommies were picked to finish third in the 2025 Summit League Preseason Coaches' Poll. It's the highest preseason selection since joining the league in 2021. St. Thomas totaled 48 points behind South Dakota State with 62 points and 6 first-place votes and South Dakota with 57 points and 3 first-place votes. Setter Morgan Kealy and middle blocker Megan Wetter were named the program's Players to Watch.
Loaded on the Upper End
What Tommie Volleyball lacked to start the Division I era has now become a strength of the team: 14 of the team's 21 athletes are upperclassmen. Among the upperclassmen, nine are seniors with seven being a part of the program over each of the past four seasons. Kaitlynn Peterson and Ella Voegele transferred into the program before the 2023 season. Of the nine seniors on the roster, all but one call the state of Minnesota home as the eight are from within 45 miles of the St. Thomas campus.
Veteran Leadership
Head Coach Thanh Pham enters his 23rd season leading St. Thomas, the longest-tenured head coach in the Summit League. He is set to coach in his 700th career match this season. Pham's culture and patience paid off during the final season of transition as the Tommies put together their most successful Division I campaign. The Purple finished 18-12 overall, becoming just the sixth transitioning program since 2011 to reach at least 18 wins and the first since 2018.
With the exit of 2012 St. Thomas Hall of Fame top assistant coach Joy Tietz, Pham added Minnesota Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Famer Jackie Richter, a Minnesota prep coaching legend, as the next top assistant. Richter most recently served as the head coach at Lakeville North High School where she won the 2017 Minnesota State Championship during four state tournament appearances. She was twice named Minnesota State Coach of the Year (2017, 2022) and was a Minnesota Sports Awards Coach of the Year finalist (2018).
A Breakthrough 2024 Season
- Signature Wins: St. Thomas swept eventual Summit League Tournament champion South Dakota during the regular season, including a historic 3–0 road win in Vermillion. The Tommies also went 3–1 against teams in the league's championship match (2–0 vs. USD, 1–1 vs. SDSU) and handed then-(RV) South Dakota State its first loss after a 22–0 start to the season, the final undefeated team in the NCAA.
- First Power Four Win: The Tommies secured their first victory over a Big Ten and Power Four opponent with a 3–1 decision over Iowa at the Panther Invitational. Prior to the win, UST had been 1-5 against Power Four teams since 2021.
- Non-Conf Tournament Success: UST went 8–3 in non-conference tournaments, winning three straight titles to open the season. The Tommies had not secured a non-con tournament title in the previous 13 competed in since 2021.
Program Firsts and Milestones in 2024
- All-Summit Recognition: Junior setter Morgan Kealy became the first Tommie to earn Summit League Setter of the Year. St. Thomas led the league with three First Team All-League selections (Kealy, Lauren Galvin, Megan Wetter) and added two Honorable Mentions (Tezra Rudzitis, Ella Voegele). Redshirt freshman Addie Schmotzer extended the Tommies' streak to four straight seasons with an All-Freshman Team honoree.
- The First 1,000 Stat-Getters during DI:
- Ella Voegele surpassed 1,000 career digs during the Tommie Invitational and was later named to the CEFCU Invitational All-Tournament Team.
- Lauren Galvin notched her 1,000th career kill behind a career-high 23 against South Dakota.
- Morgan Kealy became the first Tommie in the DI era to reach 1,000 career assists.
- Weekly Awards: St. Thomas earned four Summit League Peak Performer of the Week honors, including Galvin (2x Offensive), Voegele (Defensive), and Wetter (Defensive). Prior to the 2024 season, the Tommies totaled one performer of the week honor since joining the league in 2021.
2024 Statistical Leaders
- National Impact: Voegele ranked 42nd nationally in digs (4.77/set), while Kealy finished 78th nationally in assists (9.62/set). Wetter led all transition programs in blocks (1.04/set).
- Summit League Rankings:
- Team: Top three in opponent hitting percentage, assists/set (2nd), kills/set, and digs (1st).
- Individual: Kealy (2nd in assists/set), Voegele (2nd in digs/set), Wetter (5th in hitting pct., 7th in blocks/set), Galvin (7th in kills/set; 3rd in points/set), Rudzitis (8th in hitting pct., 9th in kills/set), Gustafson (9th in digs/set).
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. 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 --
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. 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 --
Players Mentioned
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