Setter Maddie Reese’s 28 assists were pivotal for the No. 4-ranked St. Thomas volleyball team as it snatched a 3-1 victory over No. 13-ranked Augsburg in an NCAA regional semifinal match Friday at Schoenecker Arena.
The win marks the fourth consecutive and 10th all-time regional championship trip for the Tommies (30-2).
Coach Thanh Pham said the opportunity to play in the championship speaks to the strength of the conference leading into the post-season.
“Obviously we feel a lot of pride,” Pham said. “We’re proud to represent the MIAC and we know what a tough conference it is—as evidenced by having three teams in the final four of the regional tournament be MIAC schools.”
The Tommies showed their tenacity in set one with middle blocker Kelly Foley starting her offensive run early. Foley smashed through the Auggies’ (29-5) block to give her team the 1-0 lead. Augsburg fired back with a crafty roll shot by outside hitter Colleen Ourada to trail behind St. Thomas, 9-7. Reese’s one-handed set out of the tape gave middle blocker Mackenzie Piechowski an opportunity to shine, pummeling a kill to widen the lead to 15-11. Outside hitter Jill Greenfield pounded through the Auggie block to put the Tommies in a position to win the set with the score at a close 24-23. The Tommies squeaked by with a 25-23 set one victory.
Reese said the team’s resilience contributed to Friday’s outcome.
“What we have is our endurance,” Reese said. “We never want to ever lose a set … we tire teams out so easily because they’re so jacked up to play us, but then we just crush them.”
Despite a first set loss, the Auggies came out with a new fire in the second set. Ourada kept her team in the lead with a kill on an overpassed Tommie ball, widening the gap 13-10 in the Auggies’ favor. Ourada led the Auggies with 16 kills on the night. It wasn’t until Foley and outside hitter Nicole Potts pressed a double block that the Tommies came within reach of the Auggies, still trailing 21-16. Even with Foley’s kill off the Auggie block, the Tommies remained in the dust 23-18. Augsburg kept the Tommies at 18 points, clinching set two.
Outside hitter McKenna Reagan said dropping the second set was a result of the team not playing “in sync.”
“We just weren’t very clean, so we just had to clean it up for the next two sets,” Reagan said.
With the match tied 1-1, the Tommies took control early on in set three. Reagan racked up two aces in a row to leave the Auggies behind 8-4 and 9-4. Reagan led the defense Friday with 25 digs. Maintaining the large lead, Foley pummeled a ball off a set Reese pulled out of the tape to lock in a 21-6 score. Middle blocker Paige Brimeyer ended the set 25-7 with a tip to a stunted Auggie defense.
The Tommies steamrolled ahead in set four when Brimeyer ripped a kill down the line, putting the team at 15-11 over the Auggies. Greenfield gave the crowd a show when she cranked a kill on an overpassed ball, the Tommies within reach of the match victory at 21-12. Piechowski kept the team’s season alive, ending the match 25-14 with a kill.
St. Thomas advances to play No.19-ranked Wisconsin-Stevens Point at 7 p.m. Saturday, Pham said the team has to stick to its strengths.The Pointers defeated the No. 13-ranked St. Benedict Blazers 3-1 Friday to advance to the championship match.
“We have experience, but we don’t take anything for granted,” Pham said. “We know it’s a one and done situation with all the teams, so we know that we need to come out with a lot of pride and work extremely hard.”
Sean Crotty can be reached at crot0230@stthomas.edu.