Defensive specialist Whitney Abrahamson recorded a team-high 22 digs in the St. Thomas volleyball team’s 3-1 victory over Hamline Saturday.

The Tommies (20-6 overall, 8-1 MIAC) played the Pipers (12-9 overall, 4-5 MIAC) with a balanced attack throughout the game, with three players tied for the team-high in kills.

Middle blocker Whitney Lloyd and outside hitters Sara Atkinson and Jill Greenfield all tallied eight kills in the four-set win.

“The team was very focused, and they knew what they needed to get done, and we were able to get the big points that we needed and come out with a victory,” coach Thanh Pham said. “We definitely need to work on getting the ball in-system where we can have three options for our hitters and go from there.”

The team will be back in action Wednesday as it travels to Carleton College to take on the Knights.

Men’s basketball ranked

The St. Thomas men’s basketball team, which returns four of five starters from last year, was ranked No. 13 in the nation in the D-III Hoops preseason poll.

After a 22-6 record and an early exit from the NCAA tournament last season, the Tommies will look to their experienced returners to improve that record and make a run at a national title.

“We’re focused on carrying on the legacy of success and building on that,” coach John Tauer said. “We don’t ever shy away from saying our goals are to advance deep into the (NCAA) tournament, make a Final Four run, and we want to win a national championship.”

All-MIAC center Conner Nord and guard Marcus Alipate are the highest-scoring returners for the Tommies, averaging 11.5 and 10.6 points per game, respectively.

“With St. Thomas basketball, we take pride in our depth,” Alipate said. “We’ve done a great job rebuilding. These guys have bought into the system.”

Forwards Taylor Montero and Ryan Saarela, along with guards Cortez Tillman and Grant Schaeffer, all logged significant minutes last year and will take on bigger roles this year.

The Tommies will start the season Nov. 15 against Wisconsin-Eau Claire and will be seeking their 10th consecutive conference championship this season.

Women’s soccer victorious over St. Olaf

Two second-half goals less than four minutes apart propelled the St. Thomas women’s soccer team to a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over St. Olaf Saturday afternoon in Northfield.

After conceding in the 30th minute, the Tommies (8-6-2 overall, 6-3-0 MIAC) stormed back early in the second half when forward Brielle Bierman tied the score in the 51st minute. Defender Kelsie Sargent added the Tommies’ second goal less than four minutes later. Defender Victoria Vargas and Bierman assisted on the first and second goals, respectively.

“In the first half, we had the wind at our backs, so we made a formation change,” coach Sheila McGill said. “We went from a 4-3-3 to a 5-2-2 formation, and that helped with the possession battle.”

The win moves the Tommies up to fifth in the MIAC standings and all but guarantees them a spot in the conference playoffs.

St. Thomas will be back in action Wednesday afternoon when it hosts Carleton in the final home match of the season.

Successful swim and dive meet

The men’s and women’s swim and dive teams had six first-place finishers at the St. Thomas Relays Saturday.

The Tommies won the mixed 200 medley and the men’s 800 free relay, while the women picked up four more victories.

Senior Mariann Kukielka said at the end of last season, the team re-assessed its goals and decided to focus more on a family atmosphere.

“When you emotionally care more about the team, we’re going to be more invested and we are going to work harder,” Kukielka said.

Both teams will be back in action Nov. 7 when they travel to Carleton for the men’s and women’s dual meet.

Football falls to Bethel

In its second loss of the season, the St. Thomas football team suffered a 35-24 loss to No. 11-ranked Bethel Saturday.

After trailing 21-0 at halftime, the Tommies came roaring back, scoring 24 points in the second half. The late rally wasn’t enough, though.

St. Thomas dropped out of the top 25 rankings after the loss for the first time in more than 70 weeks.

Men’s soccer ties with St. Olaf

The men’s soccer team came from behind to tie conference-leading St. Olaf 1-1 on Saturday. The Tommies trailed 1-0 at halftime but were able to force the draw.

Midfielder Johnny Mulvahill scored the lone Tommie goal in the contest on a controversial call. After forward Miles Stockman-Willis sent a ball into the box on a corner kick, Mulvahill found the loose ball and booted it into the net. St. Thomas held on for the remainder of the game to earn a much-needed point in the conference standings.