University of St. Thomas Athletics
Thursday, October 29
Brookings, S.D.
7:00 p.m. CT
at
South Dakota State
Photo by: Collin Boyles
10/28/2026 9:27:00 AM | Volleyball
St. Thomas travels to play the top two teams in the Summit League in SDSU and USD
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The final St. Thomas volleyball road trip of the regular season puts the top three teams in the Summit League standings against each other as the Tommies will play at 7 p.m. Thursday at South Dakota State and Saturday at 1 p.m. at South Dakota.
LIVE MEDIA
Live Stats: at South Dakota State | at South Dakota
Stream/Live Video: Summit League Network
SERIES HISTORY
St. Thomas and South Dakota State meet for the 13th time in the series, led by the Jackrabbits 10-2. The Tommies and Jackrabbits traded sets until a fifth-set decider (25-18, 23-25, 25-23, 26-28, 13-15) during the first meeting of the season. Sophomore Anya Schmidt hit 25 kills for the second match of the season on a .209 hitting percentage to go along with a career-high 14 digs. Senior Morgan Kealy totaled 50 assists, one of her six career 50-assist matches, with 17 digs during the first meeting with the Jackrabbits, and added a career-high five block assists. Senior Addie Schmotzer followed Schmidt with 13 kills on a .345 percentage, two kills shy of her career high, while she added five block assists against SDSU.
St. Thomas and South Dakota meet for the 13th time in the series, led by the Coyotes 9-3. South Dakota won the opening matchup of the 2026 season series, 3-0 (24-26, 25-27, 20-25), in St. Paul. The Tommies limited the Coyotes to .163 hitting, tied for its fourth lowest percentage of the season, through the match while Schmidt paced the Purple with 14 kills hitting .290. Senior Taylor McNear finished with a team high 20 digs, her fourth 20-dig match of the season, while Schmidt added 12 for one of her 10 double-doubles this season. Senior Morgan Kealy totaled 30 assists and 11 digs while she added three kills and two block assists against USD.
FIVE FOR FIVE
The winning streak continued for St. Thomas Oct. 22 and 24 with a three-set victory over North Dakota and a reverse sweep over North Dakota State. The Tommies swept North Dakota 3-0 (26-24, 25-15, 25-22), rallying from a seven-point deficit in the opening set before using an 11-0 run in the second. On Saturday, St. Thomas overcame a two-set deficit to defeat North Dakota State in five sets, snapping a streak of 21 consecutive losses when trailing 0-2. The last time St. Thomas overcame an 0-2 deficit to win was Oct. 14, 2023 against North Dakota State in St. Paul. Schmidt set a program single-match record with 26 kills against NDSU this past weekend, adding 13 digs for her 10th double-double of the season. Kealy totaled 76 assists across the weekend, including 46 against NDSU, while also recording double-doubles in both matches. Sophomore Heidi Wingate contributed seven kills in Thursday's sweep before setting a career high with 10 kills Saturday. With two wins this weekend, St. Thomas would tie its longest winning streak of the Division I era, set last season during the non-conference schedule.
THE SECOND PEAK FOR ANYA
Schmidt earned her first career Summit League Offensive Peak Performer of the Week honor after a record-setting weekend at the Marquette Tournament. Her single-match program record 25 kills was topped during the team's five-set, home win over North Dakota State that earned her her second peak performer of the week award this season.
The Rogers, Minn., native averaged 4.63 kills per set on a .313 hitting percentage, tying for the most kills in the league with 37 and ranking among the conference leaders with 5.31 points per set. She opened the weekend with 11 kills on a .421 hitting percentage and four service aces in a 3-0 sweep of North Dakota before delivering a career-best 26 kills along with 13 digs against North Dakota State.
To earn her first peak performer of the week honor, Schmidt opened the Marquette Tournament by setting St. Thomas single-match records with 25 kills and 29 points against Western Michigan, hitting .358 with three aces and a perfect 47-for-47 serve-receive mark. She followed with a team-high 18 kills and 10 digs. Schmidt added another 25-kill performance on Oct. 3 in a five-set thriller against South Dakota State. She is the third Tommie with multiple 20+ kill matches in a season, joining Lauren Galvin who did it three times in 2021 and twice in 2024, and Tezra Rudzitis who did it twice in 2025.
SWEEP IT UNDER THE RUG
St. Thomas has brought out the brooms for its past three matches, earning road sweeps at Omaha (Oct. 9), Kansas City (Oct. 15) and Oral Roberts (Oct. 17), and moved its conference record above .500 for the first time this season. The nine consecutive set wins matches the program's DI era record set last season during the weeks leading up to the Summit League Championship. During the three-match winning streak, the Tommies lead the Summit League hitting .309, limiting opponents to .073 hitting and with 2.33 aces per set. The Tommies hold the top three hitting percentages over that span, including sophomore Heidi Wingate (.500), junior Audrey Kocon (.458) and Schmidt (.456). Freshman Bryn Lunski has been pacing the league with 0.88 aces per set over the past two weeks while fellow freshman Kira Brundage is tied for third with 0.50 aces per set.
CAPPED THE ROAD TRIP
St. Thomas swept Kansas City (25-19, 25-14, 25-8) and Oral Roberts (25-19, 25-9, 25-17) through balanced offense and stout defense against ORU. The Tommies hit .434 against Kansas City, their second-highest hitting percentage of the Division I era, before holding Oral Roberts to a season-low 17 kills and .000 hitting percentage. Schmidt led the offense with 23 kills across the two matches, hitting .533 against Kansas City and .435 against Oral Roberts. Kealy recorded a double-double with 27 assists and 10 digs against Kansas City while Heidi Wingate delivered career-highs of seven kills, five blocks and 10 points against Oral Roberts.
St. Thomas earned a 3-0 road sweep (25-20, 25-18, 25-18) of first-place Omaha at Baxter Arena. Schmidt led the Tommies with 10 kills, 10 digs and a team-high four blocks, hitting a season-best .421 and extending her streak of matches with at least 10 kills to 12. Kealy posted 24 assists and 12 digs for her seventh consecutive double-double, while Schmotzer reached 200 career blocks and surpassed 500 career points. St. Thomas closed the final two sets with strong stretches, including a five-point run to break an 11-11 tie in the second and winning seven of eight rallies after a 15-15 tie in the third.
DOUBLE-DOUBLES FOR DAYS
St. Thomas dropped a pair of closely contested Summit League matches to open league play in Schoenecker Arena, falling to South Dakota in three sets before taking South Dakota State to five sets. The Tommies pushed USD to 26-24 and 27-25 finishes in the first two sets, then held a 24-21 lead in the fourth set against SDSU before the Jackrabbits rallied to win 28-26 and 15-13 in the fifth. Schmidt delivered 39 kills across the two matches, including a program-record-tying 25 against SDSU, while extending her double-double streak to five matches. Kealy recorded double-doubles in both matches and reached 1,000 career digs against SDSU, becoming the second Tommie of the Division I era to reach the milestone. Schmotzer also contributed 21 kills and 11 blocks across the two matches, while Gustafson reached 1,000 career points against SDSU.
BACK TO SUMMIT LEAGUE BUSINESS
A challenging Summit League opening weekend provided the first league win of the season for St. Thomas as it traveled to face North Dakota State and North Dakota. The Tommies and Bison began the weekend going to five sets, ultimately won by NDSU (22-25, 25-13, 25-23, 19-25, 12-15). After going to five sets just three times in 2025, St. Thomas' five-setter at NDSU was the fifth of 2026, in which the Tommies are 0-5. Gustafson, Schmidt and senior Addie Schmotzer each recorded 15 kills at NDSU, marking just the second time a Tommie trio has recorded as many kills in a match during the DI era. The Purple outhit the Bison, .303 to .220, but totaled a season low 3 service aces with 12 service errors.
St. Thomas volleyball earned its first Summit League victory of the season with a 3-1 win (22-25, 25-21, 25-19, 25-12) at North Dakota, taking three consecutive sets after dropping the opener. Sophomore Reilly Kurth posted a career-high nine kills on .438 hitting, while Kealy and Schmidt each recorded their third consecutive double-doubles. Kealy finished with 37 assists and 11 digs for her seventh double-double of the season and 53rd of her career, while Schmidt totaled 10 kills and 10 digs for her fifth double-double of the season and extended her streak to nine consecutive matches with at least 10 kills. Taylor McNear led the Tommies with 20 digs, her third 20-dig performance of the season, while Kira Brundage added three service aces, including two in the fourth set to close the win.
ATTACK, ATTACK, ATTACK
St. Thomas has been active offensively getting off attacks, as the unit ranks 68th in the nation with 35.62 attacks per set. Directing the offensive barrage is Kealy, who ranks 69th in the country with 9.65 assists per set and 87th with 685 total assists. Schmidt paces the Tommies with 4.33 points per set, 74th in DI and third in the league, and with 3.71 kills per set, 86th in the country and third in the Summit League. The Purple's services have shown the same aggression as the team is 36th nationally with 1.82 aces per set, led by Brundage's 0.41 per set, 99th nationally and third in the Summit League.
NEAR THE SUMMIT
St. Thomas features several Tommies among the top 10 statistically in the Summit League heading into the Oct. 29-31 weekend. Brundage is third with 0.41 aces per set, Kealy is third with 9.65 assists per set, and Schmidt is third with 3.71 kills per set and 4.33 points per set. Senior Taylor McNear is fourth with 3.52 digs per set while senior Addie Schmotzer is fourth with 1.00 blocks per set and eighth hitting .269.
As a team, the Tommies rank among the top four in the league in opponent hitting percentage (1st/.174), aces per set (1st/1.82), points per set (3rd/16.42), kills per set (3rd/12.83), digs per set (3rd/14.70), and assists per set (4th/11.90).
A POWERFUL STATEMENT AT SCHOENECKER
St. Thomas opened the Diet Coke Classic with a 3-0 sweep of Miami (FL) on Sept. 12, winning 25-23, 25-17, 25-19. The win was the first for the Tommies against a Power 4 program in Schoenecker Arena, and the third against a Power 4 program in as many seasons. The Tommies finished with 45 kills and a .221 hitting percentage while limiting the Hurricanes to a .154 attack percentage. Schmidt led St. Thomas with 13 kills, while Gustafson added 11 and Audrey Kocon recorded 10.
A RECORD-BREAKING HOME OPENER
St. Thomas began its home schedule Sept. 3-5 with the Tommie Invitational Volleyball Tournament in Schoenecker Arena, the third time hosting the non-conference tournament since 2023. During the Tommies' opening match Thursday against Montana State, a program-record crowd of 1,254 witnessed the team's first win of the season, a 3-1 victory (27-25, 25-27, 25-18, 25-15).
Kealy was named to the All-Tournament Team after averaging 9.54 assists, 2.08 digs and 0.53 blocks per set, and surpassing 3,000 career assists during the finale against Milwaukee. She added two double-doubles on the weekend, now at 49 in her career.
BUILDING OFF A CHAMPIONSHIP BREAKTHROUGH
St. Thomas entered the 2026 season following the most accomplished campaign in program history. The Tommies finished 21-10, their winningest season of the Division I era, captured their first Summit League Tournament championship and earned the program's first NCAA Division I Tournament berth. St. Thomas defeated No. 6 seed Omaha (3-0), No. 2 seed South Dakota (3-2) and No. 1 seed South Dakota State (3-1) to claim the league tournament title before taking nationally ranked Iowa State to five sets in the NCAA Tournament.
POWER FOUR SUCCESS
St. Thomas entered 2026 having already established itself against Power Four competition. The Tommies earned the program's third Power 4 and first ACC victory with a 3-0 sweep over Miami (FL) on Sept. 12, 2026, after defeating the Big Ten's Northwestern 3-0 last season and taking down Iowa in four sets in 2024. The Tommies claimed the program's first set win against a nationally ranked opponent by taking a set from No. 11 Minnesota in 2025, before taking two sets against No. 23 Iowa State to open the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
This season, St. Thomas pushed No. 13 Minnesota to the brink in each set of a 3-0 loss to close the Diet Coke Classic on Sept. 13, 2026. Anya Schmidt led the Tommies with 13 kills, her fifth straight match with at least 12, while she added one ace and three digs. Reilly Kurth paced the defense at the net with three blocks, marking at least three blocks in three of the past four matches.
PREDICTING THE 2026 SUMMIT LEAGUE
St. Thomas was selected to finish tied for second in the 2026 Summit League Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll, receiving 41 points and one first-place vote. The Tommies, who finished 21-10 overall and 11-5 in league play along with the program's first Summit League Tournament Championship in 2025, share the No. 2 spot with South Dakota and trail only preseason favorite South Dakota State. Senior setter Morgan Kealy and sophomore outside hitter Anya Schmidt were named St. Thomas' Players to Watch entering the 2026 season. Kealy is a two-time Summit League Setter of the Year, while Schmidt was the 2025 Summit League Freshman of the Year.
YEAR 4 FOR #5
Senior setter Morgan Kealy returns after another record-setting season in 2025. Kealy earned her second consecutive Summit League Setter of the Year honor and was named the Summit League Tournament MVP. She set the St. Thomas single-season record with 1,159 assists, ranking 30th nationally, and owns the top three single-season assist totals in program history. Kealy also contributed 371 digs, 98 kills, 38 aces and 45 blocks while her 10.08 assists per set ranked third in the Summit League.
Kealy is St. Thomas' career leader in assists with 3,532, which ranks 10th among active athletes in NCAA Division I, and with 9.15 assists per set. She is also second on the program's Division I career list in digs with 1,062, third in career aces with 91, fifth in total blocks (151), sixth in solo blocks (16) and ninth in career points (447.5) in program history. Kealy became the first Tommie of the Division I era to record a triple-double when she posted 11 kills, 41 assists and 12 digs at Denver in 2025.
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR BECOMES A SOPHOMORE
After one of the most decorated freshman seasons in program history, sophomore Anya Schmidt returns as one of the Tommies' top offensive and serving threats. Schmidt was named Summit League Freshman of the Year and to the All-Freshman Team after ranking 10th nationally in total service aces and 19th in aces per set. She also tied a Summit League record with 10 aces in a four-set match against Oral Roberts in Tulsa, Okla.
Schmidt's serving was among the most productive in the country as a freshman. Schmidt's 58 service aces in 2025 set a program single-season record and rank first in the program's history for aces per set (0.50). Her 342 kills and 419.0 points in 2025 each rank second in a single season, while her 602 career kills and 722.0 points already rank fifth during the DI era. Schmidt also owns the program's top four Division I-era single-match ace performances, highlighted by 10 aces at Oral Roberts.
SCHMOTZER RETURNS IN THE MIDDLE
Senior middle blocker Addie Schmotzer returns after starting 26 of 30 matches in 2025. She recorded 124 kills and 61 total blocks while averaging 0.58 blocks per set. Into her third season, Schmotzer ranks second in career solo blocks (46), third in total blocks (200) and fourth in block assists (154). Her 2025 season included 14 solo blocks and 82 total blocks, both ranking among the top five single-season marks in the Division I era. She also ranks sixth in career kills with 380 and set the program's single-match record with four solo blocks at Marquette.
ALL ABOARD THE GUS BUS
Senior outside hitter Ellie Gustafson enters her fourth season ranked among the program's most productive offensive players in the Division I era. Gustafson ranks third in career kills (917), third in career digs (949) and third in career points (1042.0), while her 81 career service aces rank fourth. Her 2025 season also placed her in the program's single-season top 10 in kills (295), points (338.5), digs (270), aces (29), kills per set (2.57) and points per set (2.94).
NEW FACES IN ST. PAUL
The Tommies welcome a six-player group of newcomers to the 2026 roster, including freshmen Bryn Lunski, Ella Thorson, Kira Brundage and Maddy Jones, along with fifth-year transfer Sophia Del Valle and junior transfer Audrey Kocon. Lunski earned 2025 Class AAAA All-State recognition after a four-time All-Metro West Conference career at Chanhassen, while Thorson was a 2025 Class AA All-State selection who set a St. Croix Prep school record with 1,985 career assists. Jones earned 6A SIC First Team All-Conference and AVCA All-Region honors at Eagle High School in Idaho. Del Valle joins St. Thomas from Presbyterian, while Kocon arrives from Providence.
LAST YEAR'S SUMMIT LEAGUE STATISTICAL LEADERS
The Tommies featured several of the Summit League's top individual performers in 2025. Senior setter Morgan Kealy led the league in total assists (1,159) and ranked third in assists per set (10.08), while also ranking eighth in digs per set (3.23) and 10th in aces per set (0.33). Sophomore outside hitter Anya Schmidt led the league in both total service aces (58) and aces per set (0.53) while also ranking among the league's top 10 in kills per set (2.96) and points per set (3.66). Senior middle blocker Addie Schmotzer ranked 18th in total blocks (59) and 24th in blocks per set (0.58), while senior outside hitter Ellie Gustafson ranked 15th in kills per set (2.57), digs per set (2.35) and points per set (2.94).
FOLLOW ALONG
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-- St. Thomas Athletics --
LIVE MEDIA
Live Stats: at South Dakota State | at South Dakota
Stream/Live Video: Summit League Network
SERIES HISTORY
St. Thomas and South Dakota State meet for the 13th time in the series, led by the Jackrabbits 10-2. The Tommies and Jackrabbits traded sets until a fifth-set decider (25-18, 23-25, 25-23, 26-28, 13-15) during the first meeting of the season. Sophomore Anya Schmidt hit 25 kills for the second match of the season on a .209 hitting percentage to go along with a career-high 14 digs. Senior Morgan Kealy totaled 50 assists, one of her six career 50-assist matches, with 17 digs during the first meeting with the Jackrabbits, and added a career-high five block assists. Senior Addie Schmotzer followed Schmidt with 13 kills on a .345 percentage, two kills shy of her career high, while she added five block assists against SDSU.
St. Thomas and South Dakota meet for the 13th time in the series, led by the Coyotes 9-3. South Dakota won the opening matchup of the 2026 season series, 3-0 (24-26, 25-27, 20-25), in St. Paul. The Tommies limited the Coyotes to .163 hitting, tied for its fourth lowest percentage of the season, through the match while Schmidt paced the Purple with 14 kills hitting .290. Senior Taylor McNear finished with a team high 20 digs, her fourth 20-dig match of the season, while Schmidt added 12 for one of her 10 double-doubles this season. Senior Morgan Kealy totaled 30 assists and 11 digs while she added three kills and two block assists against USD.
FIVE FOR FIVE
The winning streak continued for St. Thomas Oct. 22 and 24 with a three-set victory over North Dakota and a reverse sweep over North Dakota State. The Tommies swept North Dakota 3-0 (26-24, 25-15, 25-22), rallying from a seven-point deficit in the opening set before using an 11-0 run in the second. On Saturday, St. Thomas overcame a two-set deficit to defeat North Dakota State in five sets, snapping a streak of 21 consecutive losses when trailing 0-2. The last time St. Thomas overcame an 0-2 deficit to win was Oct. 14, 2023 against North Dakota State in St. Paul. Schmidt set a program single-match record with 26 kills against NDSU this past weekend, adding 13 digs for her 10th double-double of the season. Kealy totaled 76 assists across the weekend, including 46 against NDSU, while also recording double-doubles in both matches. Sophomore Heidi Wingate contributed seven kills in Thursday's sweep before setting a career high with 10 kills Saturday. With two wins this weekend, St. Thomas would tie its longest winning streak of the Division I era, set last season during the non-conference schedule.
THE SECOND PEAK FOR ANYA
Schmidt earned her first career Summit League Offensive Peak Performer of the Week honor after a record-setting weekend at the Marquette Tournament. Her single-match program record 25 kills was topped during the team's five-set, home win over North Dakota State that earned her her second peak performer of the week award this season.
The Rogers, Minn., native averaged 4.63 kills per set on a .313 hitting percentage, tying for the most kills in the league with 37 and ranking among the conference leaders with 5.31 points per set. She opened the weekend with 11 kills on a .421 hitting percentage and four service aces in a 3-0 sweep of North Dakota before delivering a career-best 26 kills along with 13 digs against North Dakota State.
To earn her first peak performer of the week honor, Schmidt opened the Marquette Tournament by setting St. Thomas single-match records with 25 kills and 29 points against Western Michigan, hitting .358 with three aces and a perfect 47-for-47 serve-receive mark. She followed with a team-high 18 kills and 10 digs. Schmidt added another 25-kill performance on Oct. 3 in a five-set thriller against South Dakota State. She is the third Tommie with multiple 20+ kill matches in a season, joining Lauren Galvin who did it three times in 2021 and twice in 2024, and Tezra Rudzitis who did it twice in 2025.
SWEEP IT UNDER THE RUG
St. Thomas has brought out the brooms for its past three matches, earning road sweeps at Omaha (Oct. 9), Kansas City (Oct. 15) and Oral Roberts (Oct. 17), and moved its conference record above .500 for the first time this season. The nine consecutive set wins matches the program's DI era record set last season during the weeks leading up to the Summit League Championship. During the three-match winning streak, the Tommies lead the Summit League hitting .309, limiting opponents to .073 hitting and with 2.33 aces per set. The Tommies hold the top three hitting percentages over that span, including sophomore Heidi Wingate (.500), junior Audrey Kocon (.458) and Schmidt (.456). Freshman Bryn Lunski has been pacing the league with 0.88 aces per set over the past two weeks while fellow freshman Kira Brundage is tied for third with 0.50 aces per set.
CAPPED THE ROAD TRIP
St. Thomas swept Kansas City (25-19, 25-14, 25-8) and Oral Roberts (25-19, 25-9, 25-17) through balanced offense and stout defense against ORU. The Tommies hit .434 against Kansas City, their second-highest hitting percentage of the Division I era, before holding Oral Roberts to a season-low 17 kills and .000 hitting percentage. Schmidt led the offense with 23 kills across the two matches, hitting .533 against Kansas City and .435 against Oral Roberts. Kealy recorded a double-double with 27 assists and 10 digs against Kansas City while Heidi Wingate delivered career-highs of seven kills, five blocks and 10 points against Oral Roberts.
St. Thomas earned a 3-0 road sweep (25-20, 25-18, 25-18) of first-place Omaha at Baxter Arena. Schmidt led the Tommies with 10 kills, 10 digs and a team-high four blocks, hitting a season-best .421 and extending her streak of matches with at least 10 kills to 12. Kealy posted 24 assists and 12 digs for her seventh consecutive double-double, while Schmotzer reached 200 career blocks and surpassed 500 career points. St. Thomas closed the final two sets with strong stretches, including a five-point run to break an 11-11 tie in the second and winning seven of eight rallies after a 15-15 tie in the third.
DOUBLE-DOUBLES FOR DAYS
St. Thomas dropped a pair of closely contested Summit League matches to open league play in Schoenecker Arena, falling to South Dakota in three sets before taking South Dakota State to five sets. The Tommies pushed USD to 26-24 and 27-25 finishes in the first two sets, then held a 24-21 lead in the fourth set against SDSU before the Jackrabbits rallied to win 28-26 and 15-13 in the fifth. Schmidt delivered 39 kills across the two matches, including a program-record-tying 25 against SDSU, while extending her double-double streak to five matches. Kealy recorded double-doubles in both matches and reached 1,000 career digs against SDSU, becoming the second Tommie of the Division I era to reach the milestone. Schmotzer also contributed 21 kills and 11 blocks across the two matches, while Gustafson reached 1,000 career points against SDSU.
BACK TO SUMMIT LEAGUE BUSINESS
A challenging Summit League opening weekend provided the first league win of the season for St. Thomas as it traveled to face North Dakota State and North Dakota. The Tommies and Bison began the weekend going to five sets, ultimately won by NDSU (22-25, 25-13, 25-23, 19-25, 12-15). After going to five sets just three times in 2025, St. Thomas' five-setter at NDSU was the fifth of 2026, in which the Tommies are 0-5. Gustafson, Schmidt and senior Addie Schmotzer each recorded 15 kills at NDSU, marking just the second time a Tommie trio has recorded as many kills in a match during the DI era. The Purple outhit the Bison, .303 to .220, but totaled a season low 3 service aces with 12 service errors.
St. Thomas volleyball earned its first Summit League victory of the season with a 3-1 win (22-25, 25-21, 25-19, 25-12) at North Dakota, taking three consecutive sets after dropping the opener. Sophomore Reilly Kurth posted a career-high nine kills on .438 hitting, while Kealy and Schmidt each recorded their third consecutive double-doubles. Kealy finished with 37 assists and 11 digs for her seventh double-double of the season and 53rd of her career, while Schmidt totaled 10 kills and 10 digs for her fifth double-double of the season and extended her streak to nine consecutive matches with at least 10 kills. Taylor McNear led the Tommies with 20 digs, her third 20-dig performance of the season, while Kira Brundage added three service aces, including two in the fourth set to close the win.
ATTACK, ATTACK, ATTACK
St. Thomas has been active offensively getting off attacks, as the unit ranks 68th in the nation with 35.62 attacks per set. Directing the offensive barrage is Kealy, who ranks 69th in the country with 9.65 assists per set and 87th with 685 total assists. Schmidt paces the Tommies with 4.33 points per set, 74th in DI and third in the league, and with 3.71 kills per set, 86th in the country and third in the Summit League. The Purple's services have shown the same aggression as the team is 36th nationally with 1.82 aces per set, led by Brundage's 0.41 per set, 99th nationally and third in the Summit League.
NEAR THE SUMMIT
St. Thomas features several Tommies among the top 10 statistically in the Summit League heading into the Oct. 29-31 weekend. Brundage is third with 0.41 aces per set, Kealy is third with 9.65 assists per set, and Schmidt is third with 3.71 kills per set and 4.33 points per set. Senior Taylor McNear is fourth with 3.52 digs per set while senior Addie Schmotzer is fourth with 1.00 blocks per set and eighth hitting .269.
As a team, the Tommies rank among the top four in the league in opponent hitting percentage (1st/.174), aces per set (1st/1.82), points per set (3rd/16.42), kills per set (3rd/12.83), digs per set (3rd/14.70), and assists per set (4th/11.90).
A POWERFUL STATEMENT AT SCHOENECKER
St. Thomas opened the Diet Coke Classic with a 3-0 sweep of Miami (FL) on Sept. 12, winning 25-23, 25-17, 25-19. The win was the first for the Tommies against a Power 4 program in Schoenecker Arena, and the third against a Power 4 program in as many seasons. The Tommies finished with 45 kills and a .221 hitting percentage while limiting the Hurricanes to a .154 attack percentage. Schmidt led St. Thomas with 13 kills, while Gustafson added 11 and Audrey Kocon recorded 10.
A RECORD-BREAKING HOME OPENER
St. Thomas began its home schedule Sept. 3-5 with the Tommie Invitational Volleyball Tournament in Schoenecker Arena, the third time hosting the non-conference tournament since 2023. During the Tommies' opening match Thursday against Montana State, a program-record crowd of 1,254 witnessed the team's first win of the season, a 3-1 victory (27-25, 25-27, 25-18, 25-15).
Kealy was named to the All-Tournament Team after averaging 9.54 assists, 2.08 digs and 0.53 blocks per set, and surpassing 3,000 career assists during the finale against Milwaukee. She added two double-doubles on the weekend, now at 49 in her career.
BUILDING OFF A CHAMPIONSHIP BREAKTHROUGH
St. Thomas entered the 2026 season following the most accomplished campaign in program history. The Tommies finished 21-10, their winningest season of the Division I era, captured their first Summit League Tournament championship and earned the program's first NCAA Division I Tournament berth. St. Thomas defeated No. 6 seed Omaha (3-0), No. 2 seed South Dakota (3-2) and No. 1 seed South Dakota State (3-1) to claim the league tournament title before taking nationally ranked Iowa State to five sets in the NCAA Tournament.
POWER FOUR SUCCESS
St. Thomas entered 2026 having already established itself against Power Four competition. The Tommies earned the program's third Power 4 and first ACC victory with a 3-0 sweep over Miami (FL) on Sept. 12, 2026, after defeating the Big Ten's Northwestern 3-0 last season and taking down Iowa in four sets in 2024. The Tommies claimed the program's first set win against a nationally ranked opponent by taking a set from No. 11 Minnesota in 2025, before taking two sets against No. 23 Iowa State to open the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
This season, St. Thomas pushed No. 13 Minnesota to the brink in each set of a 3-0 loss to close the Diet Coke Classic on Sept. 13, 2026. Anya Schmidt led the Tommies with 13 kills, her fifth straight match with at least 12, while she added one ace and three digs. Reilly Kurth paced the defense at the net with three blocks, marking at least three blocks in three of the past four matches.
PREDICTING THE 2026 SUMMIT LEAGUE
St. Thomas was selected to finish tied for second in the 2026 Summit League Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll, receiving 41 points and one first-place vote. The Tommies, who finished 21-10 overall and 11-5 in league play along with the program's first Summit League Tournament Championship in 2025, share the No. 2 spot with South Dakota and trail only preseason favorite South Dakota State. Senior setter Morgan Kealy and sophomore outside hitter Anya Schmidt were named St. Thomas' Players to Watch entering the 2026 season. Kealy is a two-time Summit League Setter of the Year, while Schmidt was the 2025 Summit League Freshman of the Year.
YEAR 4 FOR #5
Senior setter Morgan Kealy returns after another record-setting season in 2025. Kealy earned her second consecutive Summit League Setter of the Year honor and was named the Summit League Tournament MVP. She set the St. Thomas single-season record with 1,159 assists, ranking 30th nationally, and owns the top three single-season assist totals in program history. Kealy also contributed 371 digs, 98 kills, 38 aces and 45 blocks while her 10.08 assists per set ranked third in the Summit League.
Kealy is St. Thomas' career leader in assists with 3,532, which ranks 10th among active athletes in NCAA Division I, and with 9.15 assists per set. She is also second on the program's Division I career list in digs with 1,062, third in career aces with 91, fifth in total blocks (151), sixth in solo blocks (16) and ninth in career points (447.5) in program history. Kealy became the first Tommie of the Division I era to record a triple-double when she posted 11 kills, 41 assists and 12 digs at Denver in 2025.
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR BECOMES A SOPHOMORE
After one of the most decorated freshman seasons in program history, sophomore Anya Schmidt returns as one of the Tommies' top offensive and serving threats. Schmidt was named Summit League Freshman of the Year and to the All-Freshman Team after ranking 10th nationally in total service aces and 19th in aces per set. She also tied a Summit League record with 10 aces in a four-set match against Oral Roberts in Tulsa, Okla.
Schmidt's serving was among the most productive in the country as a freshman. Schmidt's 58 service aces in 2025 set a program single-season record and rank first in the program's history for aces per set (0.50). Her 342 kills and 419.0 points in 2025 each rank second in a single season, while her 602 career kills and 722.0 points already rank fifth during the DI era. Schmidt also owns the program's top four Division I-era single-match ace performances, highlighted by 10 aces at Oral Roberts.
SCHMOTZER RETURNS IN THE MIDDLE
Senior middle blocker Addie Schmotzer returns after starting 26 of 30 matches in 2025. She recorded 124 kills and 61 total blocks while averaging 0.58 blocks per set. Into her third season, Schmotzer ranks second in career solo blocks (46), third in total blocks (200) and fourth in block assists (154). Her 2025 season included 14 solo blocks and 82 total blocks, both ranking among the top five single-season marks in the Division I era. She also ranks sixth in career kills with 380 and set the program's single-match record with four solo blocks at Marquette.
ALL ABOARD THE GUS BUS
Senior outside hitter Ellie Gustafson enters her fourth season ranked among the program's most productive offensive players in the Division I era. Gustafson ranks third in career kills (917), third in career digs (949) and third in career points (1042.0), while her 81 career service aces rank fourth. Her 2025 season also placed her in the program's single-season top 10 in kills (295), points (338.5), digs (270), aces (29), kills per set (2.57) and points per set (2.94).
NEW FACES IN ST. PAUL
The Tommies welcome a six-player group of newcomers to the 2026 roster, including freshmen Bryn Lunski, Ella Thorson, Kira Brundage and Maddy Jones, along with fifth-year transfer Sophia Del Valle and junior transfer Audrey Kocon. Lunski earned 2025 Class AAAA All-State recognition after a four-time All-Metro West Conference career at Chanhassen, while Thorson was a 2025 Class AA All-State selection who set a St. Croix Prep school record with 1,985 career assists. Jones earned 6A SIC First Team All-Conference and AVCA All-Region honors at Eagle High School in Idaho. Del Valle joins St. Thomas from Presbyterian, while Kocon arrives from Providence.
LAST YEAR'S SUMMIT LEAGUE STATISTICAL LEADERS
The Tommies featured several of the Summit League's top individual performers in 2025. Senior setter Morgan Kealy led the league in total assists (1,159) and ranked third in assists per set (10.08), while also ranking eighth in digs per set (3.23) and 10th in aces per set (0.33). Sophomore outside hitter Anya Schmidt led the league in both total service aces (58) and aces per set (0.53) while also ranking among the league's top 10 in kills per set (2.96) and points per set (3.66). Senior middle blocker Addie Schmotzer ranked 18th in total blocks (59) and 24th in blocks per set (0.58), while senior outside hitter Ellie Gustafson ranked 15th in kills per set (2.57), digs per set (2.35) and points per set (2.94).
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
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-- St. Thomas Athletics --
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