University of St. Thomas Athletics
Morgan Kealy and Anya Schmidt celebrate a point during the team's sweep at Northwestern on Sept. 18, 2025.
Tommie Volleyball picked second in Summit League preseason poll
8/26/2026 11:01:00 AM | Volleyball
Setter Morgan Kealy, outside hitter Anya Schmidt named St. Thomas Players to Watch
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Coming off the most accomplished season in program history, the University of St. Thomas volleyball team has been picked to finish tied for second in the 2026 Summit League Preseason Coaches' Poll, released Wednesday by the league office.
The Tommies received 41 points and one first-place vote to tie South Dakota for second. South Dakota State was selected as the preseason favorite with 47 points and six first-place votes.
St. Thomas enters the season after a historic 2025 campaign in which it went 21-10 overall and 11-5 in Summit League play, captured its first Summit League Tournament championship and earned the program's first NCAA Division I Tournament appearance. The Tommies defeated top-seeded South Dakota State in four sets during the championship match to secure the automatic NCAA berth.
Senior setter Morgan Kealy and sophomore outside hitter Anya Schmidt were selected as St. Thomas' Players to Watch.
Kealy returns for her senior season after earning Summit League Setter of the Year honors for the second consecutive season. She also was named the Summit League Tournament MVP after directing the Tommies to their first league championship.
In 2025, Kealy set the St. Thomas single-season record with 1,159 assists and finished third in the Summit League with 10.08 assists per set. She enters the 2026 season as the program's Division I-era career leader with 2,847 assists. Kealy also ranks second in career digs, fourth in service aces and sixth in solo blocks. She became the first Tommie of the Division I era to record a triple-double last season, finishing with 11 kills, 41 assists and 12 digs in a win at Denver.
Schmidt enters her sophomore season after becoming the first Tommie to earn Summit League Freshman of the Year honors. She also was selected to the league's All-Freshman Team and Summit League All-Tournament Team.
One of the nation's most productive servers as a freshman, Schmidt set a St. Thomas single-season record with 58 service aces in 2025. She led the Summit League in both total aces and aces per set (0.53), while ranking among the league's top 10 in kills per set (2.96) and points per set (3.66). Schmidt also tied the Summit League's four-set record with 10 aces in a match at Oral Roberts.
The Tommies finished 2025 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 2026 preseason poll reflects the league's top three teams from the 2025 regular-season standings. South Dakota State went 23-5 overall and 16-0 in league play last season, while South Dakota finished 20-9 and 12-4. St. Thomas posted an 11-5 league record before winning three consecutive matches in the Summit League Tournament to claim the title.
St. Thomas opens the 2026 season Aug. 29-30 at the Rumble in the Rockies, facing Texas Tech on Saturday before taking on the host Wyoming on Sunday in Laramie, Wyo.
2026 Summit League Preseason Coaches' Poll
The Tommies received 41 points and one first-place vote to tie South Dakota for second. South Dakota State was selected as the preseason favorite with 47 points and six first-place votes.
St. Thomas enters the season after a historic 2025 campaign in which it went 21-10 overall and 11-5 in Summit League play, captured its first Summit League Tournament championship and earned the program's first NCAA Division I Tournament appearance. The Tommies defeated top-seeded South Dakota State in four sets during the championship match to secure the automatic NCAA berth.
Senior setter Morgan Kealy and sophomore outside hitter Anya Schmidt were selected as St. Thomas' Players to Watch.
Kealy returns for her senior season after earning Summit League Setter of the Year honors for the second consecutive season. She also was named the Summit League Tournament MVP after directing the Tommies to their first league championship.
In 2025, Kealy set the St. Thomas single-season record with 1,159 assists and finished third in the Summit League with 10.08 assists per set. She enters the 2026 season as the program's Division I-era career leader with 2,847 assists. Kealy also ranks second in career digs, fourth in service aces and sixth in solo blocks. She became the first Tommie of the Division I era to record a triple-double last season, finishing with 11 kills, 41 assists and 12 digs in a win at Denver.
Schmidt enters her sophomore season after becoming the first Tommie to earn Summit League Freshman of the Year honors. She also was selected to the league's All-Freshman Team and Summit League All-Tournament Team.
One of the nation's most productive servers as a freshman, Schmidt set a St. Thomas single-season record with 58 service aces in 2025. She led the Summit League in both total aces and aces per set (0.53), while ranking among the league's top 10 in kills per set (2.96) and points per set (3.66). Schmidt also tied the Summit League's four-set record with 10 aces in a match at Oral Roberts.
The Tommies finished 2025 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 2026 preseason poll reflects the league's top three teams from the 2025 regular-season standings. South Dakota State went 23-5 overall and 16-0 in league play last season, while South Dakota finished 20-9 and 12-4. St. Thomas posted an 11-5 league record before winning three consecutive matches in the Summit League Tournament to claim the title.
St. Thomas opens the 2026 season Aug. 29-30 at the Rumble in the Rockies, facing Texas Tech on Saturday before taking on the host Wyoming on Sunday in Laramie, Wyo.
2026 Summit League Preseason Coaches' Poll
| Rank | School | Points (1st) | 2025 Record |
| 1. | South Dakota State | 47 (6) | 23-5 (16-0) |
| T2. | St. Thomas | 41 (1) | 21-10 (11-5) |
| T2. | South Dakota | 41 (1) | 20-9 (12-4) |
| 4. | North Dakota State | 29 | 17-11 (10-6) |
| 5. | Omaha | 27 | 10-16 (7-9) |
| 6. | North Dakota | 16 | 7-20 (4-12) |
| 7. | Kansas City | 14 | 3-26 (2-14) |
| 8. | Oral Roberts | 9 | 3-25 (1-15) |
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