Outside hitter Madie Kroehler and defensive specialists Ellie Meyer and Abby Louwagie cheer after scoring a point. The Tommies led by six at one point in the third set before closing out the match with a 25-20 win.(TommieMedia/Sophia Becker)
The Tommie women’s volleyball team stands for the national anthem. The win improved the Tommies’ record to 11-5 overall and 4-1 in the MIAC.(TommieMedia/Sophia Becker)
Outside hitter, Fran Egan spikes the ball for a kill. Egan led the team with 16 kills against the Oles.
(TommieMedia/Sophia Becker)
Setter Katherine Mallak sets the ball to Bordson. Mallak put up 52 assists as the lone setter on the night.(TommieMedia/Sophia Becker)
St. Olaf players stretch to deflect middle blocker Grace Bordson’s spike. Bordson recorded 13 kills against the Oles. (TommieMedia/Sophia Becker)
Coach Thanh Pham speaks with the team during a timeout. This is Pham’s 16th season with the Tommies. (TommieMedia/Sophia Becker)
St. Olaf players try to block Meyer’s bump over the net. The Tommies won the first two sets but the Oles came back to narrowly win the third set 25-22. (TommieMedia/Sophia Becker)
Meyer serves the ball to the Oles. The last time the two teams faced off was in the MIAC semifinals last year, with the Tommies advancing to the conference title match.(TommieMedia/Sophia Becker)
The St. Thomas volleyball team extended its win streak to three Wednesday at Schoenecker Arena after defeating St. Olaf in four sets.
The Tommies (4-1 MIAC, 11-5 overall), had a strong start, winning a close first set and dominating the second. The Oles (3-1 MIAC, 13-2 overall) came back to narrowly win the third set 25-22, but the Tommies pulled away with the victory in the fourth.
“I thought our hitters did a really good job,” coach Thanh Pham said. “Our middles… are usually the strength of our team, so it was really good to see other kids step up.”
St. Thomas has struggled to find its rhythm this season, but the match marked a confident stride forward. Outside hitter Fran Egan, who led the team with 16 kills against the Oles, said the team is starting to play more cohesively.
“It felt a lot better than a lot of other games because we played as a unit,” Egan said. “It was really nice to all work together and pull off the win.”
Setter Katharine Mallak recorded 52 of the team’s 60 assists, helping set up 62 kills for the Tommies.
“We’ve been working really hard in practice, and we knew it was going to be a tough match,” Mallak said. “But we all pulled together and knew that if we stayed connected on the court, we’d be fine.”
Pham, who is entering his 16th season as the women’s volleyball coach, is optimistic about the rest of the season.
“I think the sky could be the limit for these guys, if we can keep composed,” Pham said.
The last time these two teams faced off was in the MIAC semifinals last year, with the Tommies advancing to the conference title match. The win marks the Tommies’ 10th in a row against St. Olaf.
“We just take it one match at a time,” Pham said. “St. Olaf played a great match tonight.”
St. Thomas’ three-game win streak matches a season high set in the first three matches of the season. The Tommies continue a two-game homestand Friday against non-conference opponent Muhlenberg College.
Sawyer Rutan can be reached at sawyer.rutan@stthomas.edu