University of St. Thomas Athletics
Friday, October 9
Omaha, Neb.
6:30 p.m. CT
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Omaha
Photo by: Collin Boyles
Volleyball travels to Omaha Oct. 9 for lone match of weekend
10/8/2026 9:04:00 AM | Volleyball
Tommies start three-match road trip with first meeting against Mavericks
ST. PAUL, Minn. – St. Thomas volleyball opens a three-match road trip Oct. 9 at Omaha, its lone match of the weekend. The Tommies and Mavericks meet for the first time this season with a 6:30 p.m. first serve at Baxter Arena in Omaha, Neb.
LIVE MEDIA
Live Stats: at Omaha
Stream/Live Video: Summit League Network
SERIES HISTORY
After eight straight losses in the series, St. Thomas came away with a regular and post season sweep over Omaha in 2025. The Tommies began the matchups with a 3-1 win Sept. 27 in St. Paul before taking a sweep Oct. 23 over the Mavericks in Omaha and opening their 2025 Summit League Tournament run with another sweep. St. Thomas won 10 of 11 sets across the three meetings. Anya Schmidt led the Tommies with 19 kills and 26.0 points in the Sept. 27 meeting, while Ellie Gustafson hit .429 with 15 kills and Tezra Rudzitis hit .636 with 15 kills in a 3-0 road sweep Oct. 23. Morgan Kealy added 39 assists in the Omaha sweep, and Addie Schmotzer recorded four blocks in the teams' Summit League Tournament meeting.
DOUBLE-DOUBLES FOR DAYS
St. Thomas dropped a pair of closely contested Summit League matches at Schoenecker Arena during its most recent matches, 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. Sophomore Anya 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. Senior Morgan 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. Addie Schmotzer also contributed 21 kills and 11 blocks across the two matches, while Ellie 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 31st in the nation with 36.33 attacks per set. Directing the offensive barrage is Kealy, who ranks 66th in the country with 9.69 assists per set and 61st with 523 total assists. The Purple's services have shown the same aggression as the team is 94th nationally with 1.63 aces per set, led by Brundage's 0.43 per set, second in the Summit League.
THE FIRST 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. The Rogers, Minn., native led the Tommies with 4.30 kills and 4.75 points per set while hitting .239, adding three aces, 19 digs, two blocks and a .949 serve-receive percentage. Schmidt opened the weekend 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 against Marquette for her third double-double of the season and eighth of her career, extending her streak to seven consecutive matches with at least 12 kills.
Anya added another 25-kill performance on Oct. 3 in a five-set thriller against South Dakota State. Her 25 kills ranks tied for 51st nationally in most kills in a five-set match while 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. Schmidt added 14 digs in the match for her seventh double-double of the season and fifth straight.
NEAR THE SUMMIT THROUGH THE NON-CONFERENCE SEASON
St. Thomas featured several Tommies among the top 10 statistically in the Summit League heading into league matches Sept. 24-26. Brundage sat second in the league, and 47th nationally, with 0.51 aces per set while three Tommies ranked third in their respective categories. Kealy was third with 9.51 assists per set, Schmidt was third with 4.11 points per set, and Schmotzer was third with 1.11 blocks per set. Senior Taylor McNear was fifth in the league with 3.43 digs per set while Schmidt also ranked top 10 with 3.50 kills per set and Schmotzer eighth with a .245 hitting percentage.
As a team, the Tommies ranked among the top four in the league in aces per set (2nd/1.81), opponent hitting percentage (3rd/.195), points per set (4th/16.22), assists per set (4th/11.52), kills per set (4th/12.54), and digs per set (4th/13.92).
After the first two weekends of Summit matches, St. Thomas leads the Summit League allowing opposing teams to hit .183 along with the third lowest opponent assists per set (10.91) and opponent kills per set (11.50).
A POWERFUL STATEMENT AT SCHOENECKER
St. Thomas opened the Diet Coke Classic with a 3-0 sweep of Miami (FL) on Sept. 12 at Schoenecker Arena, 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 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. Anya Schmidt led St. Thomas with 13 kills, while Gustafson added 11 and Audrey Kocon recorded 10. Kealy totaled 42 assists, while Gustafson led the team with 12 digs for her second double-double of the season and 21st of her career, and Kocon followed with 10 digs for her first double-double of the season and 17th in her career. The Tommies also received five kills from Schmotzer and three kills and a career high five block assists from Kurth in the sweep.
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.
LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE
St. Thomas got its 2026 campaign started with the Rumble in the Rockies August 29-30 in Laramie, Wyo., hosted by the University of Wyoming. The Tommies began the tournament with a 3-2 loss (17-25, 19-25, 25-20, 25-22, 15-17) to Texas Tech at Arena-Auditorium. Gustafson and Kealy each tallied a double-double, Gustafson with a team-high 13 kills and 10 digs and Kealy with 39 assists and 12 digs. Senior Taylor McNear paced the defense with 23 digs while Schmotzer protected the net with a career-high 8 blocks, including 2 solo. Schmotzer's blocks led a charge of 13 for the Tommies compared to 11 for the Red Raiders, snapping a streak of 15 consecutive wins for the Purple when outblocking their opponent. Freshman Kira Brundage added 3 service aces with 14 digs during her St. Thomas debut.
The Tommies followed with a 3-0 loss (20-25, 21-25, 17-25) to the host Cowgirls, who normally play their home matches at UniWyo Sports Complex. Kocon and Schmidt led the Tommies with nine kills each and both added one service ace. Schmotzer and sophomore Kurth each totaled six kills while Kurth hit .500 and Schmotzer hit .462 from the floor.
BUILDING OFF A CHAMPIONSHIP BREAKTHROUGH
St. Thomas enters 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.
NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED IN THE STATSHEET IN 2025
The Tommies finished the 2025 season among the nation's top 20 teams in total service aces, aces per set, kills per set and assists per set. St. Thomas ranked eighth nationally in total aces, 10th in aces per set, 15th in kills per set and 17th in assists per set. The Tommies also led the Summit League in points, assists, kills and aces per set.
POWER FOUR SUCCESS
St. Thomas enters 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.
A PROGRAM ON THE RISE
The Tommies posted a program-best in-season RPI of 69 in 2025 and finished the season ranked No. 73. St. Thomas also played five NCAA Tournament teams during the regular season - Cal Poly, Campbell, Iowa State, Minnesota and South Dakota State.
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 3,290, which ranks 10th among active athletes in NCAA Division I, and with 9.11 assists per set. She is also second on the program's Division I career list in digs with 987 and tied for third in career aces with 80. 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 while she also ranks fifth in total blocks (139), sixth in solo blocks (16) and eighth in career points (403.5) in program history.
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.
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 493 career kills and 595.0 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 (43), third in total blocks (188) and fourth in block assists (145). 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 seventh in career kills with 354.
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 (872), fourth in career digs (887) and third in career points (989.0), while her 76 career service aces rank fifth. 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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JOIN US
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-- St. Thomas Athletics --
LIVE MEDIA
Live Stats: at Omaha
Stream/Live Video: Summit League Network
SERIES HISTORY
After eight straight losses in the series, St. Thomas came away with a regular and post season sweep over Omaha in 2025. The Tommies began the matchups with a 3-1 win Sept. 27 in St. Paul before taking a sweep Oct. 23 over the Mavericks in Omaha and opening their 2025 Summit League Tournament run with another sweep. St. Thomas won 10 of 11 sets across the three meetings. Anya Schmidt led the Tommies with 19 kills and 26.0 points in the Sept. 27 meeting, while Ellie Gustafson hit .429 with 15 kills and Tezra Rudzitis hit .636 with 15 kills in a 3-0 road sweep Oct. 23. Morgan Kealy added 39 assists in the Omaha sweep, and Addie Schmotzer recorded four blocks in the teams' Summit League Tournament meeting.
DOUBLE-DOUBLES FOR DAYS
St. Thomas dropped a pair of closely contested Summit League matches at Schoenecker Arena during its most recent matches, 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. Sophomore Anya 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. Senior Morgan 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. Addie Schmotzer also contributed 21 kills and 11 blocks across the two matches, while Ellie 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 31st in the nation with 36.33 attacks per set. Directing the offensive barrage is Kealy, who ranks 66th in the country with 9.69 assists per set and 61st with 523 total assists. The Purple's services have shown the same aggression as the team is 94th nationally with 1.63 aces per set, led by Brundage's 0.43 per set, second in the Summit League.
THE FIRST 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. The Rogers, Minn., native led the Tommies with 4.30 kills and 4.75 points per set while hitting .239, adding three aces, 19 digs, two blocks and a .949 serve-receive percentage. Schmidt opened the weekend 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 against Marquette for her third double-double of the season and eighth of her career, extending her streak to seven consecutive matches with at least 12 kills.
Anya added another 25-kill performance on Oct. 3 in a five-set thriller against South Dakota State. Her 25 kills ranks tied for 51st nationally in most kills in a five-set match while 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. Schmidt added 14 digs in the match for her seventh double-double of the season and fifth straight.
NEAR THE SUMMIT THROUGH THE NON-CONFERENCE SEASON
St. Thomas featured several Tommies among the top 10 statistically in the Summit League heading into league matches Sept. 24-26. Brundage sat second in the league, and 47th nationally, with 0.51 aces per set while three Tommies ranked third in their respective categories. Kealy was third with 9.51 assists per set, Schmidt was third with 4.11 points per set, and Schmotzer was third with 1.11 blocks per set. Senior Taylor McNear was fifth in the league with 3.43 digs per set while Schmidt also ranked top 10 with 3.50 kills per set and Schmotzer eighth with a .245 hitting percentage.
As a team, the Tommies ranked among the top four in the league in aces per set (2nd/1.81), opponent hitting percentage (3rd/.195), points per set (4th/16.22), assists per set (4th/11.52), kills per set (4th/12.54), and digs per set (4th/13.92).
After the first two weekends of Summit matches, St. Thomas leads the Summit League allowing opposing teams to hit .183 along with the third lowest opponent assists per set (10.91) and opponent kills per set (11.50).
A POWERFUL STATEMENT AT SCHOENECKER
St. Thomas opened the Diet Coke Classic with a 3-0 sweep of Miami (FL) on Sept. 12 at Schoenecker Arena, 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 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. Anya Schmidt led St. Thomas with 13 kills, while Gustafson added 11 and Audrey Kocon recorded 10. Kealy totaled 42 assists, while Gustafson led the team with 12 digs for her second double-double of the season and 21st of her career, and Kocon followed with 10 digs for her first double-double of the season and 17th in her career. The Tommies also received five kills from Schmotzer and three kills and a career high five block assists from Kurth in the sweep.
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.
LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE
St. Thomas got its 2026 campaign started with the Rumble in the Rockies August 29-30 in Laramie, Wyo., hosted by the University of Wyoming. The Tommies began the tournament with a 3-2 loss (17-25, 19-25, 25-20, 25-22, 15-17) to Texas Tech at Arena-Auditorium. Gustafson and Kealy each tallied a double-double, Gustafson with a team-high 13 kills and 10 digs and Kealy with 39 assists and 12 digs. Senior Taylor McNear paced the defense with 23 digs while Schmotzer protected the net with a career-high 8 blocks, including 2 solo. Schmotzer's blocks led a charge of 13 for the Tommies compared to 11 for the Red Raiders, snapping a streak of 15 consecutive wins for the Purple when outblocking their opponent. Freshman Kira Brundage added 3 service aces with 14 digs during her St. Thomas debut.
The Tommies followed with a 3-0 loss (20-25, 21-25, 17-25) to the host Cowgirls, who normally play their home matches at UniWyo Sports Complex. Kocon and Schmidt led the Tommies with nine kills each and both added one service ace. Schmotzer and sophomore Kurth each totaled six kills while Kurth hit .500 and Schmotzer hit .462 from the floor.
BUILDING OFF A CHAMPIONSHIP BREAKTHROUGH
St. Thomas enters 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.
NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED IN THE STATSHEET IN 2025
The Tommies finished the 2025 season among the nation's top 20 teams in total service aces, aces per set, kills per set and assists per set. St. Thomas ranked eighth nationally in total aces, 10th in aces per set, 15th in kills per set and 17th in assists per set. The Tommies also led the Summit League in points, assists, kills and aces per set.
POWER FOUR SUCCESS
St. Thomas enters 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.
A PROGRAM ON THE RISE
The Tommies posted a program-best in-season RPI of 69 in 2025 and finished the season ranked No. 73. St. Thomas also played five NCAA Tournament teams during the regular season - Cal Poly, Campbell, Iowa State, Minnesota and South Dakota State.
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 3,290, which ranks 10th among active athletes in NCAA Division I, and with 9.11 assists per set. She is also second on the program's Division I career list in digs with 987 and tied for third in career aces with 80. 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 while she also ranks fifth in total blocks (139), sixth in solo blocks (16) and eighth in career points (403.5) in program history.
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.
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 493 career kills and 595.0 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 (43), third in total blocks (188) and fourth in block assists (145). 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 seventh in career kills with 354.
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 (872), fourth in career digs (887) and third in career points (989.0), while her 76 career service aces rank fifth. 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
To reserve your seat to be a part of the Tommies' 2026 season, click HERE to view ticketing information and purchase options.
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/ VolleyballFriday, September 18
Friday, September 18
Tuesday, March 03
Sunday, December 07
