Outside hitter McKenna Reagan’s 19 digs weren’t enough for the No. 6-ranked St. Thomas volleyball team as it fell in a five-set upset to Concordia-Moorhead Wednesday at Schoenecker Arena.

The Tommies (18-2 overall, 5-1 MIAC) surrendered their spot atop the MIAC after falling to the Cobbers (15-7 overall, 6-0 MIAC). The conference-leading spot was previously a three-way tie between St. Thomas, Concordia-Moorhead, and Augsburg.

Coach Thanh Pham said the loss hurts, but will serve as a learning tool.

“Obviously it doesn’t feel good,” Pham said. “Hopefully it’s a wakeup call for us, and there’s a lot that we need to work on, so we’ll go back to the gym tomorrow and work.”

Coming out with a bang, the Cobbers took the lead early in set one. Setter Maddie Reese put the Tommies close behind the Cobbers when she outwitted their defense with a setter dump, her team trailing 3-7. Reese led St. Thomas with 34 of the team’s 64 total assists.

Middle blocker Kelly Foley put the team within reach of the lead when she pressed a solid solo block and a tight 9-10 score on the board. Middle blockers Paige Brimeyer and Mackenzie Piechowski’s strong double block later in the set gave the team a fighting chance, leveling the score to 22-22. Despite a battle, the Tommies dropped the first set 25-23.

Outside hitter Jill Greenfield said the team’s late start to the match cost them the victory.

“It was just a tough loss because we fought hard, but we didn’t figure it out until later in the game,” Greenfield said. “We just need to know that we have to come to practice and get better everyday because there’s tough teams, especially in our region.”

Heading into the second set, the Tommies suffered a similar fate. The Cobbers controlled the momentum as they held the lead the entire set. Foley put her team in good hands when she crushed a kill on the Cobbers’ side of the court, one of her 19 kills on the night.

Despite Foley’s kill to give the Tommies a chance, the women fell to the Cobbers 25-18 in set two.

Reagan said the team needs to look ahead and not dwell on the loss.

“We just need to bounce back, we can’t dwell on it,” Reagan said. “I mean, there’s still the possibility that we can lead the conference, we just have to do our job.”

The third set gave the Tommies new life when opposite hitter Sara Atkinson tipped a crafty shot against the Cobbers, putting St. Thomas in the lead 12-10. Then it was Piechowski who stepped up for the team’s offense, slamming a cross-court kill, locking in a 22-13 score. Atkinson struck back again when she dominated the Cobbers’ line for a 24-16 lead. Foley ensured the 25-16 set-three win with a strong kill.

Atkinson turned the match in the Tommies’ favor during the fourth set when she found a vacant deep corner with her kill to put the teams at an 8-8 standstill. Greenfield kept the team rolling when she painted the line with her 21-10 kill. Brimeyer ended the set on a strong note with a crafty tip leading to the 25-12 Tommie set four victory. Brimeyer racked up seven kills for the Tommies.

In set five it was a battle of the top contenders when Cobbers middle hitter Heather Beaner pummeled a kill down the line to even the score out 1-1. The Cobbers took the lead when middle hitter Kayla Hampton found an open spot on the Tommies court, her team leading 10-9. Despite Brimeyer’s kill late in the match with her team behind 13-14, the Tommies fell to the Cobbers in a tight 15-13 fifth set.

Greenfield said matches like tonight’s show the team’s ability to fight, but also a need for improvement.

“We’ve got fight in us, (but) there’s always something you need to work on,” Greenfield said. “I think it says a lot about our program that we fight, but at the same time we’ve got to come out stronger.”

With Wisconsin-Eau Claire and Wisconsin-River Falls facing the St. Thomas this weekend, Reagan said the team needs to stick to its strengths.

“We’ve just got to focus tomorrow at practice and walk into the gym knowing that we can’t take any team lightly,” Reagan said. “Any team can beat any team; you’ve just got to play your best game.”

Sean Crotty can be reached at crot0230@stthomas.edu.