The St. Thomas volleyball team’s outside hitter Fran Egan tallied 13 kills against Augsburg Wednesday, leading the team to a 3-0 victory.
The Tommies (5-1 MIAC, 13-5 overall) dominated the first two sets 25-13 and 25-14, and won the third 25-20 in a highly contested final set against the Auggies (4-2 MIAC, 16-3 overall) for their fifth-consecutive win.
Outside hitter Fran Egan spikes the ball over the Auggies defense to score for the Tommies. Egan led the team with 13 kills in the three-set win over Augsburg. (Matthew Curry/TommieMedia)
“We can beat some really good teams,” coach Thanh Pham said. “Hopefully moving forward we can continue to hit the ball well and pass well, and our setting has been amazing.”
The Tommies’ win snapped an eight-game win streak for Augsburg, a feat not lost on Pham.
“I don’t look past Augsburg, they’re 16-2 for a reason,” he said. “For us to play that well is a testament to how hard our girls are working.”
Egan, who has started each of the last five matches, said the team’s preparation was a big part of the win.
“We practiced a lot of hitting lines and that worked really well on the outside, and we also practiced blocking on the right side, which also worked really well,” she said. “We were really excited for another close game…and it feels good to get another MIAC win.”
Defensive specialist Ellie Meyer led the team with 17 digs. She also has the most digs on the team this season with 267.
To her, the biggest reason for the Tommies’ success is their connection with each other.
“Even when we lose a point, we’re always picking each other back up and moving forward with a positive attitude,” Meyer said.
The Tommies have the chance to extend their season-high win streak Friday against non-conference Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Jack Stanek can be reached at stan5468@stthomas.edu