Celts dominated their home opening matches securing 2-0 record to start the season.
The University of St. Thomas Volleyball team opened its 2024 securing their first win of the season with a 3-set sweep, dominating Hendrix College with scores of 25-14, 25-20, and 25-10, before dominating the Pioneers of Lewis & Clark; 25-7, 25-10, and 25-14
The Celts clashed with Hendrix College at 10 a.m. before facing Lewis & Clark at 6:30 p.m. Both matches were played at the Jerabeck Athletic Activity Center (JAAC) on the campus of the University of St. Thomas.
UST vs Hendrix Recap
In the opener vs. Hendrix, UST was led by (JR.) Audrey Cataline, with 11 kills, 3 service aces, and 7 digs—just shy of a double-double. Teammate and (SO.) Alexis Bodunrin contributed 7 kills, while (SR.) Kara Spice anchored the defense with 20 digs. Junior Mia Medina added 5 digs to the mix, and (Grad) Laynee Beam punched in with 6 kills, showcasing the depth and talent of the Celts' roster.
The match started with the Celts rallying to win the first set decisively at 25-14. Although they faced a brief setback in the second set, trailing 14-9, the team rallied to claim the set 25-20 and take a 2-0 lead in the match. The Celts sealed the victory with a commanding 25-10 third set.
UST vs Lewis & Clark Recap
After resting throughout the day, the Celts went to work fast and recorded their second sweep of the season, dominating Lewis & Clark University with set scores of 25-7, 25-10, and 25-14.
In another dominant performance (JR.) Audrey Cataline, with 10 kills, 13 digs completed her fist double-double of the season. Sophomore Alexis Bodunrin led the way in impressive fashion with 11 kills, while Kara Spice (SR.) kept the floor clean with 22 digs. Junior Mia Medina added 5 digs and an impressive 15 Aces.
The Celts asserted their early dominance from the start, securing a commanding 25-7 victory in the first set. They continued their dominant performance in the second set, winning 25-10 and establishing a 2-0 lead in the match. The Celts then solidified their victory in the third set with a 25-14 score.
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With this momentum, the Celts look forward to their next challenge as they play Saturday, Aug 31st, at 1PM in Jereback. Can't make it? Catch all the action live on flosports.com. Don't miss it!
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"Post-Game Insights: Head Coach Keanne Burt Discusses Team's Momentum and Preparation for Upcoming Matches"
How do you plan to maintain momentum from this win to the upcoming matches?
"So we talked a lot about starting this day, setting the tones for the season. And we talked about tones, not just being wins and losses, but having a strong start, being a good communicator as a group, having a lot of bench energy. So I think that was the main goal. And they did those things, and the wins came from that, happy that was achieved". - Head Coach Keanne Burt
What aspect of the team's play can you still improve upon, if any?
"It's still really early, so I think things can get a little cleaner. Some of our in-system plays, getting those a little bit more polished and continuing to better ourselves in serve receive. I think one of the focuses for the season is being better at the service line. And I think we did a good job today of being really aggressive from the service line and taking control of the match that way. So again, just refocusing on that and continuing that part". - Head Coach Keanne Burt
How do you plan to prepare for the team's next match following such a strong performance?
"Every day is new. We have Schreiner tomorrow. They're the team that eliminated us from the conference tournament. It's a non-conference game, but it's a conference opponent that we'll face later on down the road, and I think just going in it with a fresh start. It's a new day, and all these things that happened today don't roll into tomorrow unless we make them roll into tomorrow. So, being focused through the preparation, we could watch them play the teams before us today, so we got a bit more of an eye on them. I know they'll have some rotational changes with some players that were not here today but will be here tomorrow, so just mentally preparing and not making any moment bigger than it is at the end of the day. This is just a game, and we're out here to have fun doing it". - Head Coach Keanne Burt
