First-year hitter Ellie Gustafson’s 13 kills weren’t enough to stop the University of Denver’s 3-1 victory over St. Thomas on Thursday at Schoenecker Arena.

The Tommies (4-11, 0-4 Summit League) continued a four-game conference losing streak against the Pioneers (5-8, 4-1). The Tommies dropped the first two sets 25-17 and 25-19 before winning the third 25-22. Denver put a stop to any semblance of a comeback by winning the final set 25-21.

“We were creating our own errors and giving them points instead of making Denver earn it,” coach Thanh Pham said.

Denver started out aggressive with a 6-2 run and never lost their lead, thanks in part to a defensive effort that stifled any chance for St. Thomas. The Pioneers had 11 blocks to the Tommies’ six throughout the match.

The second set started off with a glimmer of hope for the Tommies when they moved to a 4-1 lead, punctuated by a kill from Gustafson. St. Thomas didn’t trail in the second set until Denver stole the lead off of a kill error by Gustafson to make it 12-11. From then on, the Tommies couldn’t find a way to take the lead and lost 25-19.

“I just think that we’ll do a lot of learning,” Pham said. “I know that there were times some of our hitters wish they would have chosen differently.”

The Tommies’ hitters made adjustments in the third set to maintain a close game with the Pioneers. Gustafson had six kills in the third set, including the final one, off an assist from sophomore libero Ella Voegele. A service error by Denver sealed a set three win for the Tommies, 25-22.

“We just have to stay focused and calm, get a nice pass, and then usually when our pass is good, I can put the ball away,” Gustafson said.

The fourth set was a tight battle, as neither team led by more than three, until the final point. The Tommies’ defense eventually gave out, due in part to Denver’s core of graduate players who combined for 37 kills through the match. The Tommies lost their final set 25-21.

“If you weren’t here and you looked at the scores, hopefully you would see that we competed harder … and again, our team is showing signs of improvement,” Pham said.

The Tommies will seek their first conference win against Oral Roberts at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, at Schoenecker Arena.

Adam Mueller can be reached at muel7541@stthomas.edu.