The St. Thomas volleyball team will make its first NCAA tournament appearance of the D-I era Friday at Maturi Pavilion in Minneapolis.
The Tommies will play No. 5-seeded Iowa State at 4:30 p.m. in the first round. UST automatically qualified after beating powerhouse South Dakota State in the Summit League Volleyball Championship on Nov. 25.
“We’re hoping that momentum can carry us forward in a couple wins this weekend,” coach Thanh Pham said.
Volleyball is just the second St. Thomas sport to compete in an NCAA postseason after men’s and women’s cross country ran in the Midwest Regional Nov. 14.
Junior setter Morgan Kealy was named Summit League tournament MVP on top of her Setter of the Year accolade. She said the camaraderie throughout the team has led to its success.
“We’re each other’s best friends, and I think that’s what is able to get us through those tough games,” Kealy said.
Kealy identified the team’s 3-1 loss to North Dakota State on Nov. 13 as a turning point for the rest of the season.
“We sat down and there was a very vulnerable conversation, but I really think that was what got us through the Summit League tournament: knowing that we are really able to be there, support each other,” Kealy said.
Pham furthered Kealy’s statements and emphasized how important it was for the players to know how much they enjoyed playing together.
“They just weren’t telling each other they loved them enough in those moments, and once they understood that, they were able to break through,” Pham said.
First-year outside hitter Anya Schmidt earned Freshman of the Year Honors, while seniors right-side hitter Tezra Rudzitis and middle blocker Megan Wetter were All-Summit First Team.
Sophomore middle blocker Addie Schmotzer described how she felt watching the team’s name appear during the tournament selection.
“I think all of us were so giddy, we could not just sit still,” Schmotzer said.
Iowa State received an at-large bid after finishing 22-7 and 12-6 in the Big 12. The winner between ISU and UST will play the winner between No. 4-seeded Minnesota and Fairfield.
For Friday evening’s crowd, Kealy said “it will hopefully be a lot of purple.”
Adam Mueller can be reached at muel7541@stthomas.edu.
