Houston, Texas - The University of St. Thomas volleyball team faced a tough challenge at home, falling 3-1 to Colorado College in a back-and-forth, intensely contested SCAC match. The loss brings the Celts to .500 overall at 9-9 and 4-3 in conference. The Tigers needed 4 sets to secure the victory, but each set could have gone to either team, with UST dropping the pivotal 1st set 26-28.
The first set was a tight battle, with the Celts holding the lead much of the way. The game was tied at 20-20 before Colorado College edged ahead, but UST fought back to even the score at 26-26. In the end, Colorado claimed the following two points and the set 28-26 in a thrilling finish. The second set followed a similar pattern, with both teams exchanging leads. With the score tied at 22-22, Colorado again claimed the last few points, a 25-22 win, and a two-set lead.
The Celts found their backs against the wall and responded in the third set, ultimately winning to keep the match alive. A back-and-forth contest ensued, but with the score tied at 20-20 again, UST finished strong to will the set 25-23 this time. St. Thomas could not keep the momentum going and could not capitalize in the fourth set; Colorado sealed the match with a 25-19 win.
A familiar group led the Celts on the stat sheet as junior Audrey Cataline led the offense with an impressive 24 kills and 12 digs. Sophomore Alexis Bodunrin followed closely behind, contributing 18 kills. Mia Medina and Kendall Howard helped the team run smoothly with 27 and 21 assists, respectively. Defensively, senior Kara Spice did her thing and finished with 28 digs, while Howard tallied 16 of her own. St. Thomas sophomore Noor Haydari took advantage of some playing time and added 6 kills and 3 digs.
Up Next
The Celts host the #22 Trinity in the Celt Classic on Saturday afternoon. The action begins at 12:15 PM in the Jerabeck Activity and Athletics Center! Don't miss the chance to cheer on the Celts as they take on one of the top teams in the nation! Let's pack the JAAC! For updates about UST Volleyball, visit www.ustcelts.com or follow @USTAthletics and @ustwvball on Instagram and X.
