St. Thomas' Historic Season Comes to Heartbreaking End in Thrilling NCAA Tournament Match Against No. 5 Iowa State
In a nail-biting five-set battle at the Maturi Pavilion, St. Thomas volleyball team came up just short of pulling off a monumental upset against top-ranked No. 5 Iowa State, succumbing to a 25-21, 13-25, 16-25, 25-21, 8-15 loss.
The Tommies' historic season, which marked their first season in Division I postseason eligibility, had been a Cinderella story until the bitter end. Despite being the underdogs against a team they had never beaten before, St. Thomas showed remarkable grit and determination, pushing Iowa State to its limits in every set.
The first set was a thrilling back-and-forth affair that saw St. Thomas hold their own against the Cyclones, ultimately emerging victorious 25-21. Led by senior middle blocker Megan Wetter and freshman outside hitter Anya Schmidt with four kills each, the Tommies hit .355 in the opening frame, setting the tone for what promised to be an unpredictable match.
However, Iowa State's balanced attack proved too much for St. Thomas to handle, as four different Cyclones finished with double-digit kills. The team's cohesion and depth were evident in their second-set victory, which saw them hit .552 with 16 kills and no attacking errors.
Despite the setbacks, St. Thomas refused to give up, fighting back from a 25-16 Set 3 deficit to level the match at two sets apiece. In a stunning fourth set, they came out strong, leading 19-15 before Iowa State made a late surge. The Tommies responded with grit and determination, securing a 25-21 win that sent the match into a deciding fifth set.
Unfortunately for St. Thomas, Iowa State's momentum carried over from the fourth set, and they dominated the final set, 8-5, behind sophomore libero Rachel Van Gorp's career-high 33 digs. The Cyclones' victory marked their first NCAA Tournament win since December 2022, while St. Thomas saw its historic season come to a heartbreaking end.
Tommies head coach Thanh Pham summed up his team's performance, saying, "Today we didn’t win, but our program got better." While the loss was tough to swallow, it was clear that St. Thomas had taken a monumental step forward by competing with a team like Iowa State, and the nine seniors who played their final match will be remembered for their bravery and dedication to the sport.
In a nail-biting five-set battle at the Maturi Pavilion, St. Thomas volleyball team came up just short of pulling off a monumental upset against top-ranked No. 5 Iowa State, succumbing to a 25-21, 13-25, 16-25, 25-21, 8-15 loss.
The Tommies' historic season, which marked their first season in Division I postseason eligibility, had been a Cinderella story until the bitter end. Despite being the underdogs against a team they had never beaten before, St. Thomas showed remarkable grit and determination, pushing Iowa State to its limits in every set.
The first set was a thrilling back-and-forth affair that saw St. Thomas hold their own against the Cyclones, ultimately emerging victorious 25-21. Led by senior middle blocker Megan Wetter and freshman outside hitter Anya Schmidt with four kills each, the Tommies hit .355 in the opening frame, setting the tone for what promised to be an unpredictable match.
However, Iowa State's balanced attack proved too much for St. Thomas to handle, as four different Cyclones finished with double-digit kills. The team's cohesion and depth were evident in their second-set victory, which saw them hit .552 with 16 kills and no attacking errors.
Despite the setbacks, St. Thomas refused to give up, fighting back from a 25-16 Set 3 deficit to level the match at two sets apiece. In a stunning fourth set, they came out strong, leading 19-15 before Iowa State made a late surge. The Tommies responded with grit and determination, securing a 25-21 win that sent the match into a deciding fifth set.
Unfortunately for St. Thomas, Iowa State's momentum carried over from the fourth set, and they dominated the final set, 8-5, behind sophomore libero Rachel Van Gorp's career-high 33 digs. The Cyclones' victory marked their first NCAA Tournament win since December 2022, while St. Thomas saw its historic season come to a heartbreaking end.
Tommies head coach Thanh Pham summed up his team's performance, saying, "Today we didn’t win, but our program got better." While the loss was tough to swallow, it was clear that St. Thomas had taken a monumental step forward by competing with a team like Iowa State, and the nine seniors who played their final match will be remembered for their bravery and dedication to the sport.
still gotta give it up to those 9 seniors tho they paved the way for the future 
and i love how coach pham kept it real about the program getting better even though they didn't win this time
coach pham said it best though - winning isn't everything, but the journey is what matters.
gotta feel bad for those tommies, they had the whole nation rooting for 'em and came up just short against a top-ranked team 
st thomas had such an amazing season n they almost pulled off that huge upset against iowa state 
like, i'm still trying 2 process all those back & forth sets 
it's clear dat st thomas grew a lot as a team & coach pham said it all rite 
i feel bad for the seniors tho, dey deserve a more happy ending 
I'm kinda disappointed in how this season ended for St. Thomas... they went from Cinderella story to heartbreaking end 
. I'd love to see some analysis on how St. Thomas plans to build on this experience next season 
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. I'm so proud of their historic season and all they achieved! The loss is tough, but coach Pham said it best: they may not have won the title, but they made progress 
what a season for those Tommies! I'm so proud of how far they came 
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. Their loss may have been heartbreaking, but it's clear that Coach Pham and his team are already looking towards the future 
. Those 9 seniors who graduated will be remembered for their bravery and dedication to volleyball 
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. They may not have won, but they gained invaluable experience, exposure, and momentum 
They fought so hard but ultimately came up short 
at least they got to play in the ncaa tournament for the first time ever that's a huge accomplishment 
. i love how coach pham is taking it all in stride tho, that's a great attitude to have - their program has definitely grown so much from this season and i'm hyped for next year 
. also rachel van gorp's 33 digs are INSANE 
... but sometimes you gotta tip your hat to the other team when they just play better 
... congrats to Iowa State on their win, and a sad goodbye to those 9 seniors 
. I mean, they were the underdogs and gave it their all, but that last set was just too much for them 
. They may not have won it all, but they showed us what they're capable of, and that's all anyone can ask for 
they really had it in them in the 5th set but just came up short . i remember when i used to watch ncaa volleyball matches in high school, this kind of drama is what made it so addictive 
. anyway, congrats to st thomas for making it as far as they did and more importantly, thanks to coach pham for being so humble and gracious after a tough loss 
They'll always be remembered for their bravery and dedication to the sport