Sophomore middle blocker Kelly Foley’s 18 kills led the seventh-ranked St. Thomas volleyball team to a 3-1 victory over St. Catherine University Saturday, Sept. 29, at Schoenecker Arena.
The Tommies’ victory over the Wildcats secured their first-place standing in the conference and marked their 13th straight win.
Coach Thanh Pham said he believes the team’s success this season is due to its motivation while on the court.
“I think that we just work hard and have fun, and I think that’s the key to everything,” Pham said.
Set No. 1 started with sophomore outside hitter Jill Greenfield’s eight-point serving run over St. Kate’s. Greenfield attributes her serving success this season to the team’s defense.
“I think the biggest thing is being confident in our defense, as long as you put the ball in the court,” Greenfield said.
The game continued with the Tommies leading the Wildcats by a 12-point margin. St. Kate’s didn’t give up and fought back to reduce the deficit until junior middle blocker Paige Brimeyer pounded a kill down the line, giving her team a strong lead of 18-11 over the Wildcats.
The Tommies continued to lead with junior middle blocker Mackenzie Piechowski’s rip cross-court. The game ended with a kill by Greenfield, giving St. Thomas a 25-15 victory.
Set No. 2 began with a bang when Brimeyer and Foley pressed a double block, giving them a one-point lead (2-1). The Tommies didn’t let up and kept their lead over the Wildcats when Brimeyer ripped a ball cross-court, giving the team a three-point advantage.
The Wildcats kept battling with a block over the Tommies at 7-5. Sophomore opposite hitter Sara Atkinson stepped up for the Tommies and altered the direction of the game with her kill, giving the Tommies a two-point lead late in the game (19-17). Atkinson had six kills overall against the Wildcats.
Atkinson continued to dominate as she secured set two for the Tommies with a solo block and the team was up 24-20.
Atkinson said she was pleased that her block contributed to the team’s second set win.
“It feels so good to end with such a good, strong move for the team,” Atkinson said.
Set No. 3 changed the dynamic of the game with St. Kate’s renewed energy. The Wildcats led the Tommies by four points early in the game. The Tommies didn’t let the Wildcats hold the lead for too long as they battled back to tie the set at eight apiece.
The Wildcats secured the lead as they continued to pull away 15-11. The Tommies took a timeout and stepped onto the court with a new life. The Wildcats didn’t let this disrupt their momentum; the set ended with a five-point Wildcat set win (25-20).
Atkinson said the team’s loss in the third set revealed the team’s true character.
“It’s never fun to lose, but you always know you need to come back and you need to work hard 100 percent, to push those extra balls, and to make sure you’re proud of how you play,” Atkinson said.
The Tommies came into set No. 4 with a vengeance as Brimeyer smashed a ball down the line, tying the game up early. The Tommies and Wildcats continued to share the lead as they battled back and forth.
Piechowski stepped up for the Tommies and shifted the momentum of the game in their favor with her kill, reducing the Tommies point-deficit to the Wildcats 12-14. The team continued to dominate with Atkinson’s kill, giving the Tommies a 20-18 lead. Foley finished off the match with her kill, ending the game 25-19.
The Tommies take on Concordia-Moorhead at home Wednesday, Oct. 3, to determine the conference leader.
“We’re going to enjoy this win and then we’re going to go back to the tape and look again and just serve and pass and hit a lot of balls and get ready for them (Concordia-Moorhead) that way,” Pham said.
Sean Crotty can be reached at crot0230@stthomas.edu.