In the News: St. Thomas Volleyball Begins Its Postseason Run – Newsroom

St. Thomas volleyball’s first Division I NCAA Tournament appearance generated broad local coverage as the Tommies prepare for postseason play. FOX 9, the Pioneer Press, the Minnesota Star Tribune, Minnesota Public Radio and ESPN highlighted the team’s matchup, key players and the program’s milestone moment.

What we know:
St. Thomas (21-9) earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by winning the Summit League Tournament championship, beating South Dakota State on its home floor. The Tommies are the first team at their school to earn a trip to the Division I tournament, in their first year of eligibility.

What they’re saying:
“Obviously it’s been a magical season. We had some big goals starting off, for us to be able to reach them is pretty special for this group,” Tommies’ coach Thanh Pham said. “I’m very proud of this group, it’s what you do sports for.”

What’s next:
The Tommies will face No. 5-seeded Iowa State at 4:30 p.m. Friday at Maturi Pavilion on the University of Minnesota campus. The Gophers are the No. 4 seed and host Fairfield at 7 p.m. Friday.

From Pioneer Press:
St. Thomas is making its inaugural Division I NCAA appearance in their first year of postseason eligibility after winning the Summit League Tournament crown. The Gophers earning opening weekend hosting duties gave the committee a local site to put St. Thomas in, as well.

The winners of the two first-round matches will meet in the second round at 7 p.m. Saturday back at the U with a spot in the Sweet 16 on the line.

In the unlikely event the Tommies upset Iowa State, it could set the stage for a rematch between St. Thomas and the Gophers. Minnesota won the first matchup, 3-1, on Aug. 31.

Pittsburgh is the No. 1 seed in St. Thomas and Minnesota’s regional and will host the Regional semifinals and final in Pennsylvania.

From Minnesota Star Tribune:
By winning the Summit League volleyball tournament, St. Thomas earned an automatic berth into the NCAA tournament. The Tommies, in their first year of eligibility for the postseason, won’t have to travel far for their first Division I NCAA regional in any sport.

On Sunday, the NCAA announced the 64-team field, and the Tommies will face Iowa State at Maturi Pavilion in a regional hosted by the fourth-seeded Gophers, who will open against Fairfield on Friday night. …

St. Thomas is 21-9 this season, having finished third in the Summit League with an 11-5 record. In the conference tournament last week in Brookings, S.D., the Tommies defeated sixth-seeded Nebraska-Omaha, second-seeded South Dakota and top-seeded and host South Dakota State to win the tournament. Four players average at least 9.6 kills per match for St. Thomas: Tezra Rudzitis, Anya Schmidt, Megan Wetter and Ellie Gustafson.

“This is exciting for our program and our athletic department,” Tommies coach Thanh Pham said. “It’s been a grind, the transition from Division III to Division I, but it’s been incredibly rewarding. It was a goal to win the Summit League and play in the NCAA Tournament, and now, it’s time to get back to work and prepare for Iowa State on Friday.”

From Minnesota Public Radio:
The University of St. Thomas women’s volleyball team will face Iowa State in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Friday. 

It’s the first NCAA playoff appearance for the Tommies since moving from Division III to compete with larger schools in Division I a few years ago.

They landed a spot in the playoffs after winning the Summit League Championship against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits. 

Head Coach Thanh Pham is impressed by how hard his team worked all season, a team that includes nine seniors who have shared the common goal of landing a spot since they started together. 

“We had our goals laid out and again, just taking it one day at a time and working on improvements and just trying to find little areas that we could make better, I think that kinda helped us get to where we’re at. Did I think it was possible? Absolutely. I wouldn’t say I would think it was likely though,” Pham said.

From ESPN:
Dani Busboom Kelly, who won NCAA titles as both a Nebraska player and assistant, took over at her alma mater this season after longtime Huskers coach John Cook retired. Busboom Kelly led Louisville to the NCAA final in 2024, where the Cardinals lost to Penn State. …

Defending national champion Penn State, the only school that has appeared in every NCAA tournament dating back to the event’s start in 1981, is a No. 8 seed in Texas’ quarter of the bracket. St. Thomas (Minnesota) and Toledo are both making their first appearance in the tournament.