The defending national champion St. Thomas volleyball team had a target on its back as it made its way through the regular and postseason. Wisconsin-Stevens Point knocked the Tommies out of the hunt for another national title in a 3-1 upset Saturday in the NCAA regional championship, but the team has had another season to remember.

Team accomplishments

No. 4-ranked Tommies split the MIAC regular-season championship title with Augsburg, the concluded the regular season with a 10-1 conference record. This year marked St. Thomas’ seventh consecutive title.

In the MIAC playoffs, St. Thomas squared off against St. Benedict and claimed an automatic bid into the NCAA regional tournament Nov. 9. With the Blazers clinching sets one and two, the Tommies made a comeback similar to the one seen in the NCAA title match the season prior.

With the MIAC regular season and playoff titles in the rearview, the Pointers upset the Tommies 3-1 to secure a place in the Elite Eight tournament in Holland, Mich. This marked the Tommies’ fourth consecutive appearance in the NCAA regional tournament. St. Thomas won three of the four matches prior to its loss to the Pointers. Overall, the team experienced its 10th all-time trip to the region finals.

The Tommies (30-3) racked up a 12-match postseason win streak, marking the team’s lone loss in the past two seasons that didn’t yield a five-set outcome.

Individual accomplishments

Middle blocker Kelly Foley played a pivotal role in the team’s dynamic 2013 season. Voted MIAC Player of the Year and receiving All-America honors for the second consecutive year, Foley tallied the highest hitting percentage in the conference, with .395. The junior also led the MIAC in blocks, averaging 1.10 blocks per set. Foley twice reached a career-high 25 kills in a match— both times during the regional tournament.

Outside hitter McKenna Reagan was vital to the Tommie defense, named the MIAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year for the 2013 season. Reagan’s 627 digs contributed to the Tommies’ defensive strength and helped her to the third highest number of digs among all conference players.

Five Tommies, two of whom were Reagan and Foley, were given All-MIAC honors for their performances during the 2013 season. Opposite hitter Sara Atkinson, middle blocker Paige Brimeyer and outside hitter Jill Greenfield were also named All-MIAC. Both Brimeyer and Greenfield received the honors for the second time, while Atkinson and Reagan were named for the first time.

In his 11th season with the Tommies, coach Thanh Pham led the team to a 30-3 season, including losses to No. 7-ranked Emory and No. 19-ranked Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

What’s next?

Graduating five seniors from its roster— outside hitter Nicole Potts, Reagan, Brimeyer, setter Katie Maher and middle blocker Mackenzie Piechowski— the Tommies will lose five core contributors to the team’s 2012 NCAA title.

All-MIAC Atkinson, a junior, will be an offensive weapon for the Tommies. Hitting .338 with 248 kills on the season, Atkinson will give the Tommies an advantage, attacking from the right side in her senior year. Foley and Greenfield are also among the juniors who will put the Tommies ahead offensively.

Setter Maddie Reese will return for the Tommies as a sophomore, likely taking the offensive leadership role with Maher graduating. Reese totaled 725 assists in her freshman season for the team.

With the St. Thomas’ playoff hopes halted in the NCAA regional championship game, the Tommies will look to their core players to fight for a chance to win the program’s second national title in 2014.

Sean Crotty can be reached at crot0230@stthomas.edu.