University of St. Thomas Athletics
Thursday, September 3
St. Paul, Minn.
3:00 p.m. CT
vs
Montana State
Photo by: kyliemacziewskiphotography.mypixieset.com
2024
Home schedule begins as Volleyball hosts Tommie Invitational
9/2/2026 9:46:00 AM | Volleyball
Montana State, UIC and Milwaukee enter Schoenecker Arena Sept. 3-5
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Volleyball is back on the campus of the University of St. Thomas with the Tommie Volleyball Invitational Tournament hosted Sept. 3-5 at Schoenecker Arena. St. Thomas hosts Montana State on Thursday, UIC on Friday and Milwaukee on Saturday with all matches starting at 3 p.m. CT.
Live Media
Live Stats: All Matches
Stream/Live Video: Summit League Network
SERIES HISTORY
St. Thomas and Montana State have played twice over the past five seasons, each team taking a win on the others' home court. The Tommies won the first meeting in five sets (28-26, 22-25, 25-23, 19-25, 20-18) in Bozeman, Mont., before the Bobcats won the most recent matchup 3-1 (17-25, 21-25, 25-23, 27-29) in St. Paul. During the meeting in 2023, Ellie Gustafson led the Tommies with 9 kills and added 19 digs while Morgan Kealy tallied one of her 47 career double-doubles with 30 assists and 18 digs.
St. Thomas and UIC have played once, a five-set win by the Flames (16-25, 32-34, 25-15, 25-19, 8-15), during the 2023 season opener in Chicago. Gustafson led the Tommies with 13 kills during her first collegiate match while Kealy added 43 assists, second most in the program's DI history at the time and currently just outside the top 10, and 11 digs as a true freshman. It was Kealy's first of 28 career 40+ assist matches.
St. Thomas and Milwaukee met twice over the past four seasons, each team winning on the road. The Panthers won the first meeting 3-0 (19-25, 14-25, 18-25) as Gustafson led the Purple with 7 kills and Kealy with 20 assists, while the Tommies took the second meeting 3-0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-16) as Gustafson totaled a team-high 15 kills with 10 digs, one of her 21 career double-doubles, and Kealy added 42 assists and 10 digs.
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 senior Addie 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. Transfer junior Audrey Kocon and sophomore Anya Schmidt led the Tommies with nine kills each and both added one service ace. Schmotzer and sophomore Reilly 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
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 second Power Four and Big Ten victory with a 3-0 sweep at Northwestern in 2025 and also claimed the program's first set against a nationally ranked opponent by taking a set from No. 11 Minnesota, before taking two sets against No. 23 Iowa State to open the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
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.
THE PROGRAM'S ALL-TIME SETTER
Kealy is St. Thomas' career leader in assists with 2,917, which ranks 11th among active athletes in NCAA Division I, and with 9.03 assists per set. She is also second on the program's Division I career list in digs with 898 and fourth in career aces with 76. 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 while she also ranks sixth in solo blocks (14), seventh in total blocks (120) and eighth in career points (358.0) 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 AT THE LINE AND THE NET
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 359 career kills already rank sixth and her 439.5 career points rank sixth. 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. After two seasons, Schmotzer ranks second in career solo blocks (31), fourth in total blocks (154) and fourth in block assists (123). 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 ninth in career kills with 281.
ALL ABOARD THE GUS BUS
Senior outside hitter Ellie Gustafson enters her fourth season ranked among the most productive offensive players in the Division I era. Gustafson ranks third in career kills (775), fourth in career digs (795) and fourth in career points (878.5), while her 65 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).
DEFENSIVE DEPTH
Senior Taylor McNear returns for her second season with the Tommies after appearing in 16 matches as a defensive specialist in 2025. McNear recorded 26 digs with a .929 reception percentage while providing depth to a St. Thomas defense that ranked second in the Summit League in team digs. Before joining the Tommies, she recorded 178 digs in 2024 at Appalachian State.
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.
SOPHOMORES READY FOR THEIR DEBUT
Three sophomores enter 2026 looking to make their collegiate debuts after redshirting the 2025 season: middle blockers Heidi Wingate and Reilly Kurth, along with right side Addison Menefee. Wingate led her district in blocks and hitting percentage for two consecutive seasons at Seven Lakes High School, recording 106 blocks and a .385 hitting percentage in 2024. Kurth was a two-time 4A state champion at Wayzata and earned two All-Lake Conference selections, while Menefee helped Ridge Point High School to a District 20-6A championship and earned All-District honorable mention recognition.
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.
-- St. Thomas Athletics --
Live Media
Live Stats: All Matches
Stream/Live Video: Summit League Network
SERIES HISTORY
St. Thomas and Montana State have played twice over the past five seasons, each team taking a win on the others' home court. The Tommies won the first meeting in five sets (28-26, 22-25, 25-23, 19-25, 20-18) in Bozeman, Mont., before the Bobcats won the most recent matchup 3-1 (17-25, 21-25, 25-23, 27-29) in St. Paul. During the meeting in 2023, Ellie Gustafson led the Tommies with 9 kills and added 19 digs while Morgan Kealy tallied one of her 47 career double-doubles with 30 assists and 18 digs.
St. Thomas and UIC have played once, a five-set win by the Flames (16-25, 32-34, 25-15, 25-19, 8-15), during the 2023 season opener in Chicago. Gustafson led the Tommies with 13 kills during her first collegiate match while Kealy added 43 assists, second most in the program's DI history at the time and currently just outside the top 10, and 11 digs as a true freshman. It was Kealy's first of 28 career 40+ assist matches.
St. Thomas and Milwaukee met twice over the past four seasons, each team winning on the road. The Panthers won the first meeting 3-0 (19-25, 14-25, 18-25) as Gustafson led the Purple with 7 kills and Kealy with 20 assists, while the Tommies took the second meeting 3-0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-16) as Gustafson totaled a team-high 15 kills with 10 digs, one of her 21 career double-doubles, and Kealy added 42 assists and 10 digs.
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 senior Addie 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. Transfer junior Audrey Kocon and sophomore Anya Schmidt led the Tommies with nine kills each and both added one service ace. Schmotzer and sophomore Reilly 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
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 second Power Four and Big Ten victory with a 3-0 sweep at Northwestern in 2025 and also claimed the program's first set against a nationally ranked opponent by taking a set from No. 11 Minnesota, before taking two sets against No. 23 Iowa State to open the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
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.
THE PROGRAM'S ALL-TIME SETTER
Kealy is St. Thomas' career leader in assists with 2,917, which ranks 11th among active athletes in NCAA Division I, and with 9.03 assists per set. She is also second on the program's Division I career list in digs with 898 and fourth in career aces with 76. 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 while she also ranks sixth in solo blocks (14), seventh in total blocks (120) and eighth in career points (358.0) 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 AT THE LINE AND THE NET
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 359 career kills already rank sixth and her 439.5 career points rank sixth. 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. After two seasons, Schmotzer ranks second in career solo blocks (31), fourth in total blocks (154) and fourth in block assists (123). 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 ninth in career kills with 281.
ALL ABOARD THE GUS BUS
Senior outside hitter Ellie Gustafson enters her fourth season ranked among the most productive offensive players in the Division I era. Gustafson ranks third in career kills (775), fourth in career digs (795) and fourth in career points (878.5), while her 65 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).
DEFENSIVE DEPTH
Senior Taylor McNear returns for her second season with the Tommies after appearing in 16 matches as a defensive specialist in 2025. McNear recorded 26 digs with a .929 reception percentage while providing depth to a St. Thomas defense that ranked second in the Summit League in team digs. Before joining the Tommies, she recorded 178 digs in 2024 at Appalachian State.
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.
SOPHOMORES READY FOR THEIR DEBUT
Three sophomores enter 2026 looking to make their collegiate debuts after redshirting the 2025 season: middle blockers Heidi Wingate and Reilly Kurth, along with right side Addison Menefee. Wingate led her district in blocks and hitting percentage for two consecutive seasons at Seven Lakes High School, recording 106 blocks and a .385 hitting percentage in 2024. Kurth was a two-time 4A state champion at Wayzata and earned two All-Lake Conference selections, while Menefee helped Ridge Point High School to a District 20-6A championship and earned All-District honorable mention recognition.
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.
-- St. Thomas Athletics --
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