University of St. Thomas Athletics
Thursday, November 12
St. Paul, Minn.
7:00 p.m. CT
vs
Oral Roberts
Photo by: COPYRIGHT 2026
kasonzetah.com
Instagram-Kasonz.photography
11/11/2026 9:44:00 AM | Volleyball
Tommies host Family Night Thursday before celebrating six seniors Saturday
ST. PAUL, Minn. – St. Thomas volleyball makes its final appearance of the regular season Nov. 12 and 14 as it welcomes in Oral Roberts and Kansas City to Schoenecker Arena. The Tommies and Golden Eagles begin the weekend at 7 p.m. Thursday before Senior Day against the Roos at 12 p.m. on Saturday.
LIVE MEDIA
Live Stats: vs Oral Roberts | vs Kansas City
Stream/Live Video: Summit League Network
SERIES HISTORY
St. Thomas trails the all-time series against Kansas City 5-6 but has won five straight meetings, dropping just one set since October 5, 2024. The Tommies swept the first meeting of the 2026 season 25-19, 25-14, 25-8 in Kansas City, Mo. Audrey Kocon and Anya Schmidt each hit over .500 with nine kills each, while Schmidt was second on the team to Taylor McNear (12 digs) with 11 digs. Morgan Kealy directed the offense to a .434 hitting percentage with 27 assists and notched one of her 14 double-doubles this season with 10 digs.
St. Thomas took a 6-5 advantage in the all-time series over Oral Roberts with a sweep during the first meeting of 2026, the Tommies' sixth straight win over the Golden Eagles. UST won the matchup 25-19, 25-9, 25-17 while hitting .321 as a team and limiting ORU to .000. Anya Schmidt led the Tommies with 14 kills on .435 hitting while Heidi Wingate hit .467 with seven kills and Ellie Gustafson totaled eight kills and 10 digs.
TOMMIES OUTLAST MAVERICKS FOR REGULAR SEASON SWEEP
St. Thomas earned a 3-1 victory over Omaha, improving to 10-11 overall and 8-4 in Summit League play to complete its second consecutive regular season sweep over the Mavericks. The Tommies held a 58-40 advantage in kills and outhit the Mavericks .231 to .119. After dropping the opening set, St. Thomas responded with a 25-16 second-set win and closed the third with seven of the final eight points for a 25-18 victory. The Tommies opened the fourth set with a 9-0 run behind Ellie Gustafson's serve before finishing the match with a 25-23 win. Gustafson delivered the final blow with a kill and service ace, helping St. Thomas secure its second win over Omaha this season. Four Tommies finished with at least 12 kills, including Anya Schmidt with a team-high 15 followed by Addie Schmotzer with 14 on .400 hitting. Schmidt added 17 kills for her 13th double-double of the season, joining Morgan Kealy with her 14th double-double with 49 assists and 11 digs and Ellie Gustafson with her fifth double-double of 12 kills and 11 digs. Audrey Kocon finished with 12 kills on .360 hitting while Kira Brundage made her season debut as libero with 16 digs and two service aces.
SOUTH DAKOTA SPLIT SNAPS SIX-MATCH STREAK
St. Thomas split a pair of Summit League road matches, earning a five-set victory at South Dakota State before falling in three sets at league-leading South Dakota. The Tommies rallied for a 24-26, 25-18, 25-21, 22-25, 18-16 win over the Jackrabbits, extending their winning streak to six matches, one shy of tying the program's Division I record. Schmotzer recorded career highs with 16 kills and nine blocks, while Schmidt totaled 23 kills and a career-best 16 digs for her 11th double-double of the season. Kealy added 47 assists and 14 digs, and Taylor McNear led the team with 20 digs.
St. Thomas' winning streak ended Saturday with a 3-0 loss (21-25, 20-25, 21-25) at South Dakota. Schmidt led the Tommies with 17 kills and 12 digs for her 12th double-double, while McNear again paced the defense with 20 digs. St. Thomas moved to 9-11 overall and 7-4 in Summit League play.
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.
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.
ATTACK, ATTACK, ATTACK
St. Thomas has been active offensively getting off attacks, as the unit ranks 57th in the nation with 35.95 attacks per set. Directing the offensive barrage is Kealy, who ranks 66th in the country with 9.72 assists per set and 97th with 807 total assists. Schmidt paces the Tommies with 4.43 points per set, 56th in DI and third in the league, and with 3.84 kills per set, 66th in the country and third in the Summit League. The Purple's services have shown the same aggression as the team is 28th nationally with 1.84 aces per set, led by Brundage's 0.45 per set, 45th nationally and second in the Summit League. Bryn Lunski is also tied for second in the Summit League with 0.44 aces per set, but does not qualify to rank nationally.
THE FIRST 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.
NEAR THE SUMMIT
St. Thomas features several Tommies among the top 10 statistically in the Summit League heading into Nov. 12.
Rank Name Category Value
2 Kira Brundage Aces/Set 0.45
2 Bryn Lunski Aces/Set 0.45
3 Morgan Kealy Assists/Set 9.72
3 Taylor McNear Digs/Set 3.60
3 Anya Schmidt Kills/Set 3.84
3 Anya Schmidt Points/Set 4.43
3 Addie Schmotzer Blocks/Set 1.06
7 Addie Schmotzer Hitting Pct. .275
As a team, the Tommies rank among the top four in the league in opponent hitting percentage (1st/.172), aces per set (1st/1.84), points per set (3rd/16.59), kills per set (3rd/12.86), digs per set (3rd/15.06), and assists per set (3rd/12.00).
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.
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 3,654, which ranks 10th among active athletes in NCAA Division I, and with 9.18 assists per set. She is also second on the program's Division I career list in digs (1,093), third in career aces (94), fifth in total blocks (162), sixth in solo blocks (20) and ninth in career points (471.0) 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 657 career kills and 782.5 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 (52), third in total blocks (216) and fourth in block assists (164). 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 412 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 (935), third in career digs (978) and third in career points (1066.0), while her 85 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).
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.
-- St. Thomas Athletics --
LIVE MEDIA
Live Stats: vs Oral Roberts | vs Kansas City
Stream/Live Video: Summit League Network
SERIES HISTORY
St. Thomas trails the all-time series against Kansas City 5-6 but has won five straight meetings, dropping just one set since October 5, 2024. The Tommies swept the first meeting of the 2026 season 25-19, 25-14, 25-8 in Kansas City, Mo. Audrey Kocon and Anya Schmidt each hit over .500 with nine kills each, while Schmidt was second on the team to Taylor McNear (12 digs) with 11 digs. Morgan Kealy directed the offense to a .434 hitting percentage with 27 assists and notched one of her 14 double-doubles this season with 10 digs.
St. Thomas took a 6-5 advantage in the all-time series over Oral Roberts with a sweep during the first meeting of 2026, the Tommies' sixth straight win over the Golden Eagles. UST won the matchup 25-19, 25-9, 25-17 while hitting .321 as a team and limiting ORU to .000. Anya Schmidt led the Tommies with 14 kills on .435 hitting while Heidi Wingate hit .467 with seven kills and Ellie Gustafson totaled eight kills and 10 digs.
TOMMIES OUTLAST MAVERICKS FOR REGULAR SEASON SWEEP
St. Thomas earned a 3-1 victory over Omaha, improving to 10-11 overall and 8-4 in Summit League play to complete its second consecutive regular season sweep over the Mavericks. The Tommies held a 58-40 advantage in kills and outhit the Mavericks .231 to .119. After dropping the opening set, St. Thomas responded with a 25-16 second-set win and closed the third with seven of the final eight points for a 25-18 victory. The Tommies opened the fourth set with a 9-0 run behind Ellie Gustafson's serve before finishing the match with a 25-23 win. Gustafson delivered the final blow with a kill and service ace, helping St. Thomas secure its second win over Omaha this season. Four Tommies finished with at least 12 kills, including Anya Schmidt with a team-high 15 followed by Addie Schmotzer with 14 on .400 hitting. Schmidt added 17 kills for her 13th double-double of the season, joining Morgan Kealy with her 14th double-double with 49 assists and 11 digs and Ellie Gustafson with her fifth double-double of 12 kills and 11 digs. Audrey Kocon finished with 12 kills on .360 hitting while Kira Brundage made her season debut as libero with 16 digs and two service aces.
SOUTH DAKOTA SPLIT SNAPS SIX-MATCH STREAK
St. Thomas split a pair of Summit League road matches, earning a five-set victory at South Dakota State before falling in three sets at league-leading South Dakota. The Tommies rallied for a 24-26, 25-18, 25-21, 22-25, 18-16 win over the Jackrabbits, extending their winning streak to six matches, one shy of tying the program's Division I record. Schmotzer recorded career highs with 16 kills and nine blocks, while Schmidt totaled 23 kills and a career-best 16 digs for her 11th double-double of the season. Kealy added 47 assists and 14 digs, and Taylor McNear led the team with 20 digs.
St. Thomas' winning streak ended Saturday with a 3-0 loss (21-25, 20-25, 21-25) at South Dakota. Schmidt led the Tommies with 17 kills and 12 digs for her 12th double-double, while McNear again paced the defense with 20 digs. St. Thomas moved to 9-11 overall and 7-4 in Summit League play.
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.
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.
ATTACK, ATTACK, ATTACK
St. Thomas has been active offensively getting off attacks, as the unit ranks 57th in the nation with 35.95 attacks per set. Directing the offensive barrage is Kealy, who ranks 66th in the country with 9.72 assists per set and 97th with 807 total assists. Schmidt paces the Tommies with 4.43 points per set, 56th in DI and third in the league, and with 3.84 kills per set, 66th in the country and third in the Summit League. The Purple's services have shown the same aggression as the team is 28th nationally with 1.84 aces per set, led by Brundage's 0.45 per set, 45th nationally and second in the Summit League. Bryn Lunski is also tied for second in the Summit League with 0.44 aces per set, but does not qualify to rank nationally.
THE FIRST 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.
NEAR THE SUMMIT
St. Thomas features several Tommies among the top 10 statistically in the Summit League heading into Nov. 12.
Rank Name Category Value
2 Kira Brundage Aces/Set 0.45
2 Bryn Lunski Aces/Set 0.45
3 Morgan Kealy Assists/Set 9.72
3 Taylor McNear Digs/Set 3.60
3 Anya Schmidt Kills/Set 3.84
3 Anya Schmidt Points/Set 4.43
3 Addie Schmotzer Blocks/Set 1.06
7 Addie Schmotzer Hitting Pct. .275
As a team, the Tommies rank among the top four in the league in opponent hitting percentage (1st/.172), aces per set (1st/1.84), points per set (3rd/16.59), kills per set (3rd/12.86), digs per set (3rd/15.06), and assists per set (3rd/12.00).
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.
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 3,654, which ranks 10th among active athletes in NCAA Division I, and with 9.18 assists per set. She is also second on the program's Division I career list in digs (1,093), third in career aces (94), fifth in total blocks (162), sixth in solo blocks (20) and ninth in career points (471.0) 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 657 career kills and 782.5 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 (52), third in total blocks (216) and fourth in block assists (164). 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 412 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 (935), third in career digs (978) and third in career points (1066.0), while her 85 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).
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.
-- St. Thomas Athletics --
Players Mentioned
DS/L
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
S
/ Volleyball
RS/S
/ Volleyball
MB
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
DS/L
/ Volleyball
RS
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
MB
/ Volleyball
MB
/ VolleyballFriday, September 18
Friday, September 18
Tuesday, March 03
Sunday, December 07
