St. Thomas Aquinas volleyball team just punched their ticket to the Division III quarterfinals after a gritty 3-0 sweep over No. 13 Prospect Mountain Thursday night. This wasn’t some easy cruise, folks. The Saints dug themselves into a 7-2 hole right at the start of the opening set and found themselves tied at 20 later on. But they showed that mentality they’ve been talking about all season, clawing their way back and closing out strong to take the momentum for the rest of the match. That’s the kind of fight you absolutely love to see when the stakes are high.
Grit and Growth: How the Saints Bounced Back
You gotta hand it to them, especially being a young squad. Senior Jules Stowell talked about their mentality and ability to respond after getting into trouble, and they put it all on display. Down 7-2 in the first set, it could have easily unraveled, but they locked in. They took that first set 25-21, then kept the pressure on, winning 25-18 and then absolutely dominating with a 25-9 victory in the third. Freshman Hadley DeStefano was a force, racking up 10 kills and four aces. Stowell added six kills and two aces of her own. As DeStefano put it, “In the playoffs, teams come to fight and teams come to win. So, no matter who the team is, we know they’re going to come fight as hard as they can and I think just as a team, it’s really symbolic that we fought back.” It’s clear this team is developing into a tight-knit, cohesive group that plays well together, and that chemistry was on full display when it mattered most.
Showdown on Home Court: Trinity Rematch Looms
Now the focus shifts to Saturday, and it’s gonna be epic. St. Thomas, with their 14-3 record, is hosting No. 5 Trinity (also 14-3) in a Division III quarterfinal at 6 p.m. This isn’t just any quarterfinal, it’s a rematch. The Saints pulled off a reverse sweep against Trinity on October 21 during the regular season, dropping the first two sets before coming back to win 3-2. Head coach Kristie Holtz knows this tournament is a “different animal” and that Trinity will come to play. She’s stressing mental toughness and focusing on their own game, which is exactly the right call. Stowell echoed that, saying the team knows they have a lot to prove and Trinity will be “hungry.” You can bet the Saints will be practicing hard, ready to bring that same fight and momentum to their home court for what promises to be an absolute battle.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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