11/4/06

No coach, No problem

NEW WILMINGTON, PA - With head coach Jennifer Fette in Kentucky after giving birth to her first child Tuesday, the Thomas More volleyball completed a stunning run through the Presidents' Athletic Conference tournament, beating #2 Washington & Jefferson, 30-27, 30-27, 30-27.

     The Saints entered the tournament on a three-match losing streak and proceeded to march through the postseason tournament without losing a single game.

     Freshman Leslie Hoelscher (Ft. Loramie, OH/Ft. Loramie), who was named PAC freshman of the year earlier in the day, led the Saints with 18 kills. Freshman Kristine Rust (Independence/Simon Kenton) added 16 kills in the win.

     Junior Jenny Schutte (Harrison, OH/Harrison) led the Saints with 19 digs and classmate Lindsey Webb (Mason, OH/Mason) added 16 digs. Junior Valeri Kuhn (Cincinnati, OH/Oak Hills) recorded a team-high 42 assists.

     Following the tournament, the All-PAC teams were announced. Hoelscher and Kuhn earned second team laurels, while Schutte and Rust were honorable mention selections.

11/3/06

Saints pull upset

NEW WILMINGTON, PA - After having to wait until the last week of the season to see if they even would qualify for the Presidents' Athletic Conference tournament, the fourth-seeded Saints upset top seed and host Westminster Friday to advance to the championship game, 30-21, 30-28, 30-28.

     It was the first time this season Thomas More was able to knock off the Titans, and it was a collective defensive effort that led the way. The Saints had six players record double-digit digs, led by junior Jenny Schutte (Harrison, OH/Harrison) - who collected 30 digs. Sophomore Jessica Tyner (Cincinnati, OH/McNicholas) added 18 and junior Lindsey Webb (Mason, OH/Mason) had 16.

     Freshman Leslie Hoelscher (Ft. Loramie, OH/Ft. Loramie) completed the block trifecta with seven block assists to claim the single-season block assist record. The 6-1 middle blocker already laid claim to the single-season solo block and total block records. She added a team-high 18 kills for TMC. Classmate Kristine Rust (Independence/Simon Kenton) recorded six block assists and 14 kills.

     Junior Valeri Kuhn (Cincinnati, OH/Oak Hills) had a team-high 40 kills.

     It will be the first PAC championship game appearance for Thomas More, who will play the winner of the #2 Washington & Jefferson/#3 Grove City match at 1 p.m. Saturday. The Saints split with both teams, winning at home and losing on the road.

10/30/06

Hoelscher sets another Record

For the second time this season, freshman Leslie Hoelscher (Ft. Loramie, OH/Ft. Loramie) set a new single-season block record.

     With three block assists in TMC's 30-25, 24-30, 27-30, 15-30 loss to Westminster Saturday, she passed Beth Rechtin's 1991 mark of 155. The 6-1 middle blocker needs five block assists to tie that single-season mark. She added a team-high 20 kills for Thomas More, while freshman Kristine Rust (Independence/Simon Kenton) chipped in with 15 kills. Junior Valeri Kuhn (Cincinnati, OH/Oak Hills) led the way with 47 assists, and junior Jenny Schutte (Harrison, OH/Harrison) had a team-high 29 digs.

     Rust led TMC with 14 kills in Sunday's 20-30, 27-30, 19-30 loss to Saint Vincent. Schutte had 30 assists and a team-high nine digs. Sophomore Sara Corry (Bedford/Trimble County) had three solo blocks and one block assist.

     Thomas More (14-17) will take the fourth seed into the 2006 PAC Tournament, and will face top-seed Westminster Friday in New Wilmington, PA.

10/27/06

Schutte Surpasses 1,000 digs

GROVE CITY, PA - Junior Jenny Schutte (Harrison, OH/Harrison) recorded 22 digs to surpass the 1,000-dig plataeu Friday as Thomas More fell in Presidents' Athletic Conference action, 30-22, 18-20, 20-30, 30-27, 12-15.

     With Waynesburg's loss Thursday, the Saints were already assured a spot in the PAC tournament, but the loss ended any hopes of hosting the postseason event.

     Freshman Leslie Hoelscher (Ft. Loramie, OH/Ft.Loramie) recorded eight block assists and needs one block to tie the single-season total block record. She already holds the single-season solo block record. The 6-1 middle blocker added a team-high 24 kills for the Saints, while classmate Kristine Rust (Independence/Simon Kenton) added 16 kills.

     Junior Valeri Kuhn (Cincinnati, OH/Oak Hills) dished out 47 assists, and freshman Brittany Goetz (Cold Spring/Bishop Brossart) recorded two service aces. Junior Lindsey Webb (Mason, OH/Mason) and sophomore Sara Corry (Bedford/Trimble County) added five block assists.

     Thomas More (14-15, 7-4 PAC) will attempt to lock up the tournament's third seed Saturday with a win over PAC-leading Westminster. The Titans defeated Thomas More earlier this season in three games.

10/21/06

TMC fights off sluggish start

It didn't take long for the Thomas More Saints to dig themselves into a hole, and for head coach Jenny Fette to get fired up. But, the Saints rebounded to post a key Presidents' Athletic Conference victory, beating Grove City Saturday, 30-27, 30-25, 29-31, 30-17.

     TMC dropped the first five points leading to a quick timeout. Following the break, a more focused Saints team emerged from the team huddle to score 10 of the next 11 points to gain momentum en route to the win.

     The tables were turned in the second game as the home team scored five straight points leading to a GCC timeout. However, the stoppage wasn't as successful as the Saints built a 23-13 lead. The Wolverines stormed back and it took two timeouts to stem the tide at 23-21. Thomas More righted the ship to post the 30-25 win.

     Facing a deficit for the majority of the third game, Thomas More rallied to tie the game at 29, but a service error gave GCC enough room to squeeze out the win. But, the Wolverines didn't gain any momentum with the win and TMC took game four in convincing fashion, 30-17.

     Freshman Leslie Hoelscher (Ft. Loramie, OH/Ft. Loramie) recorded a hitting percentage of .405 in recording 21 kills in 42 attempts with just four errors. It was her ninth 20-plus kill match of the season. She added seven block assists, two blocks solos and three service aces. Already the record holder for solo blocks in a season, Hoelscher needs just 12 total blocks to claim that single-season mark as well.

     Sophomore Jessica Tyner (Cincinnati, OH/McNicholas) had a season-high 17 kills, while freshman Kristine Rust (Independence/Simon Kenton) added 15 kills in the win. Junior Valeri Kuhn (Cincinnati, OH/Oak Hills) recorded her seventh 50-plus assis match of the season with 51.

     Thomas More was balanced defensively as six players recorded double-digits digs, with junior Jenny Schutte (Harrison, OH/Harrison) leading the way with 22. Junior Lindsey Webb (Mason, OH/Mason) added 16 for Thomas More.

     In their second match of the evening, the Saints rallied to dispatch PAC-foe Thiel, 27-30, 30-23, 30-19, 31-29. The win moved Thomas More to within a half-game of first place.

     Hoelcher led the Saints with 22 kills, while Rust added 16 and Tyner 12. Kuhn, who sat out the first game, finished the day with 38 assists.

     Four Saints recorded double digit digs, including a team-high 16 from junior Michelle Headley (Cincinnati, OH/Northwest). Schutte chipped in with 15, while Webb and Tyner added 12 and 11, respectively.

     Thomas More (14-14 overall, 7-3 PAC) needs one more win to secure a spot in the Presidents' Athletic Conference tournament, while two wins and some help could earn them the top-seed.

10/19/06

Hoelscher breaks single season record

Freshman Leslie Hoelscher (Ft. Loramie, OH/Ft. Loramie) recorded five block solos to set a new single-season solo block record as Thomas More snapped a four-match losing streak, beating Wilmington, 30-28, 30-14, 30-21, in non-conference action.

     The 6-1 middle blocker had three of her blocks in the first match to break the record. She added four block assists and a team-high nine kills for the Saints.

     Freshman Kristine Rust (Independence/Simon Kenton) chipped in with nine kills and sophomore Jessica Tyner (Cincinnati, OH/McNicholas) added seven kills. Junior Jenny Schutte (Harrison, OH/Harrison) dished out 28 assists for TMC, while junior Lindsey Webb (Mason, OH/Mason) had a team-high 14 digs.

     Tyner, Hoelscher and freshman Brittany Goetz (Cold Spring/Bishop Brossart) all had two service aces.

     Thomas More (12-14) will host Grove City at 9 a.m. Saturday and Thiel 1 p.m. Saturday in Presidents' Athletic Conference action.

10/15/06

Saints drop two

It wasn't the kind of day the Thomas More Saints had hoped for. After splitting the two games on the first day of the Thomas More Invitational, the Saints dropped two matches Sunday to finish its tournament, 1-3.

     TMC opened the day by dropping a Presidents' Athletic Conference match with Westminster in three games, 32-24, 27-30, 25-30.

     Freshmen Kristine Rust (Independence/Simon Kenton) and Leslie Hoelscher (Ft. Loramie, OH/Ft. Loramie) had nine kills each, while Hoelscher added two solo blocks for the Saints. Junior Valeri Kuhn (Cincinnati, OH/Oak Hills) recorded 30 assists.

     Junior Jenny Schutte (Harrison, OH/Harrison) had 20 digs and sophomore Jessica Tyner (Cincinnati, OH/McNicholas) added 16.

     In the second game, Thomas More fell to Hanover, 25-30, 30-25, 24-30, 26-30.

     Hoelscher had three block assists and three blocks solos, leaving her one block solo from tying the school's single-season NCAA mark. With two solo blocks she will tie the school mark. Sophomore Sara Corry (Bedford/Trimble County) had a career-high nine blocks - five block assists and four solo blocks.

     Rust had a team-highs with 20 kills and 21 digs, while Tyner added 21 digs. Hoelscher chipped in with 16 kills. Schutte had a career-high 44 assists.

     Thomas More (11-14) will host Wilmingon Thursday in the fifth match of a seven-match homestand.

TMC Invitational All-Tournament Team

Tournament Champions - Capital University; MVP - Jessie Hampson - Capital, Jordan Centers - Capital, Brittany Collins - Christopher Newport, Sarah Brown - Christopher Newport, Jacque DeMaurais - Piedmont, Angela Semrau - Hanover, Libero - Marie Zumberger - Capital

10/14/06

Tale of two comebacks

Thomas More came back from early deficits to force game fives twice Saturday with varying results on the first day of the Thomas More Invitational at Conner Convocation Center.

     The Saints were on the verge of dropping the fourth game on several occasions, but persevered to pull out the 32-30 win. TMC eventually claimed the fifth game 15-12 for the fifth-game Presidents' Athletic Conference win over Waynesburg, 30-21, 24-30, 30-32, 32-30, 15-12.

     Freshman Leslie Hoelscher (Ft. Loramie, OH/Ft. Loramie) had a team-high 21 kills, while sophomore Jessica Tyner (Cincinnati, OH/McNicholas) and freshman Kristine Rust (Independence/Simon Kenton) added 15 kills each. Junior Valeri Kuhn (Cincinnati, OH/Oak Hills) led the team with 55 assists, junior Jenny Schutte (Harrison, OH/Harrison) had a team-high 26 digs.

     Tyner added 22 digs, and Hoelscher had five blocks assists and two block solos.

     After falling behing 2-0 to Piedmont in non-conference action, the Saints stormed back to win the next two games, and led late in game five. However, the Lions were able to pull out the win, 28-30, 18-30, 30-28, 30-19, 13-15.

     Rust had a team-high 18 kills and Hoelscher added 14. Kuhn distributed 30 assists, while Schutte had 22 digs. Tyner, Rust and junior Lindsey Webb (Mason, OH/Mason) all had 12 digs for TMC. Hoelscher recorded a team-high four block assists and one solo blocks. She now needs six solo blocks for the single-season NCAA mark and seven from the single-season mark.

     Thomas More (11-12 overall, 5-2 PAC) will open day two with a PAC game with Westminster at 9 a.m. before hosting Hanover at 1 p.m.

10/7/06

Saints split PAC matches

Thomas More split two Presidents' Athletic Conference matches, winning at Bethany, 30-20, 30-24, 30-23 Saturday morning before losing at Washington & Jefferson, 30-23, 21-30, 25-30, 27-30 Saturday afternoon.

     In the win over the Bisons, freshman Kristine Rust (Independence/Simon Kenton) led with 19 kills and freshman Leslie Hoelscher (Ft. Loramie/Ft. Loramie) added 11 kills. Sophomore Jessica Tyner (Cincinnati, OH/McNicholas) and junior Jenny Schutte (Harrison, OH/Harrison) led with 19 digs.

     Hoelscher had five block assists, while Rust added four block assists and one solo block.

     Junior Valeri Kuhn (Cincinnati, OH/Oak Hills) had a team-high 38 assists.

     In the loss to the Presidents', Rust and Hoelscher each had 20 kills, while Kuhn distributed 54 assists. Hoelscher added five block assists.

     Tyner had a career-high 41 digs and Schutte added a career-high 35 digs. Junior Michelle Headley (Cincinnati, OH/Northwest) chipped in with 20 digs.

     Thomas More (10-11, 4-2 PAC) will host the Thomas More Invitational Oct. 14 and 15.

10/6/06

saints suffer first PAC loss

WAYNESBURG, PA - For the first time this season, the Thomas More volleyball team lost a Presidents' Athletic Conference game, losing to Waynesburg, 24-30, 30-19, 16-30, 24-30.

     Junior Valeri Kuhn (Cincinnati, OH/Oak Hills) distributed 42 assists for TMC, while freshman Kristine Rust (Independence/Simon Kenton) had a team-high 19 kills. Freshman Leslie Hoelscher (Ft. Loramie/Ft. Loramie) added 13 kills for the Saints.

     Sophomore Sara Corry (Bedford/Trimble County) had a career-high six block assists and one block solo, while Rust added four block assists. Junior Jenny Schutte (Harrison, OH/Harrison) had 20 digs, and sophomore Jessica Tyner (Cincinnati, OH/McNicholas) had 19.

     Thomas More (9-10, 3-1 PAC) will have two more PAC contests Saturday when the play Bethany at 11 a.m. and Washington & Jefferson at 4 p.m.

9/28/06

Hoelscher moves closer to record

GEORGETOWN - Freshman middle blocker Leslie Hoelscher (Ft. Loramie, OH/Ft. Loramie) moved closer to the single-season solo block record Thursday in Thomas More's three-game non-conference loss to Georgetown, 30-21, 30-28, 30-23.

     Hoelscher recorded two block solos, leaving her nine from the record. She added a block assist in the game.

     Sophomore Jessica Tyner (Cincinnati, OH/McNicholas) and freshman Kristine Rust (Independence/Simon Kenton) had a team-high seven kills, while junior Valeri Kuhn (Cincinnati, OH/Oak Hills) dished out 20 assists. Junior Jenny Schutte (Harrison, OH/Harrison) led the team with 15 digs, and junior Lindsey Webb (Mason, OH/Mason) added 10.

     Hoelscher and Tyner each had two service aces for Thomas More.

     Thomas More (9-9 overall) will resume Presidents' Athletic Conference play on Oct. 6 when they travel to Bethany at 11 a.m. and Waynesburg at 5:30 p.m.

9/24/06

Kuhn sets school record

With an assist on the final point of the first match, junior Valeri Kuhn (Cincinnati, OH/Oak Hills) set the school's all-time assists record, and Thomas More defeated defending PAC champion Washington & Jefferson, 30-17, 30-28, 30-18.

     Kuhn finished the game with 34 assists now has 674 for the season and 3,472 for her career.

     The Saints moved to 3-0 in the conference and 9-8 overall with the victory.

     Freshman Leslie Hoelscher (Ft. Loramie, OH/Ft. Loramie) had a team-high 13 kills and freshman Kristine Rust (Independence/Simon Kenton) added 12 for Thomas More.

     Junior Jenny Schutte (Harrison, OH/Harrison) recorded a team-high 19 digs and four service aces.

     Thomas More will step away from conference play when they travel to Georgetown, KY on Thursday.

9/23/06

TMC earns PAC win, Split

Freshman Kristine Rust (Independence/Simon Kenton) had her fifth career 20-kill match as Thomas More defeated Bethany, 30-23, 30-22, 30-21, in Presidents' Athletic Conference action. Later in the day, the Saints dropped a non-conference decision to Saint Vincent, 28-30, 21-30, 26-30.  

     Rust had a team-high 21 kills and classmate Leslie Hoelscher (Ft. Loramie, OH/Ft. Loramie) added 14 kills with just two errors on 37 attempts.

     Junior Valeri Kuhn (Cincinnati, OH/Oak Hills) distributed 46 assists, while junior Jenny Schutte (Harrison, OH/Harrison) recorded 21 digs. Four other Saints - junior Lindsey Webb (Mason, OH/Mason; 16), junior Michelle Headley (Cincinnati, OH/Northwest; 15), Kuhn (15) and sophomore Jessica Tyner (Cincinnati, OH/McNicholas; 14) - aided the defensive effort with double-digits digs.

     Rust and Hoelscher combined for 30 kills in the Saints' non-conference defeat and Kuhn moved to within 13 assists of the school record with 37. Schutte added a team-high 14 digs.

9/19/06

Saints fall to Hanover

HANOVER, IN - Freshman Leslie Hoelscher (Ft. Loramie, OH/Ft. Loramie) recorded 14 kills during Thomas More's non-conference loss to Hanover Tuesday, 15-30, 15-30, 30-19, 16-30.

     Junior Valeri Kuhn (Cincinnati, OH/Oak Hills) dished out 35 assists to pull to within 100 assists of the school record. Thomas More has three straight home games - two on Saturday and one on Sunday. The Saints will play Bethany at 10 a.m. and Saint Vincent at 4 p.m. Saturday before hosting Washington & Jefferson at noon Sunday. S

     Freshman Kristine Rust (Independence/Simon Kenton) finished with 11 kills on the evening, while junior Jenny Schutte (Harrison, OH/Harrison) had a team-high 17 digs and junior Lindsey Webb (Mason, OH/Mason) added 15.    

  

9/13/06

Thomas More Sweeps Past Pioneers

    Thomas More came out in its home opener ready to impress the home fans, and they achieved the set upon goal Wednesday with a three-game non conference victory over intrastate-rival Transylvania, 31-29, 30-21, 30-20, at the Connor Convocation Center.

     After opening up an early lead at 25-16, TMC had the Pioneers storm back to claim the lead. In fact, Transylvania stood one point from victory before the Saints reclaimed the advantage and the match.

     The lessons of the initial game were absorbed quickly as Thomas More once again took an early advantage. This time, there was no comeback in store for the visitors from Lexington. In the final game, TU played close to the Saints for the opening portions. However, TMC went away to take the match when junior Jenny Schutte (Harrison, OH/Harrison) dropped the final of her five aces in the back right corner of the court.

     Freshman Leslie Hoelscher (Fort Loramie, OH/Fort Loramie) led the Saints with 20 kills and one block solo, while classmate Kristine Rust (Independence/Simon Kenton) added 16. It was Hoelscher's fifth 20-plus kill match of the season.

     Junior Valeri Kuhn (Cincinnati, OH/Oak Hills) dished out 47 assists, leaving her 217 shy of the school record. Junior Michelle Headley (Cincinnati, OH/Northwest) had a career-high 27 digs for the Saints.

     Thomas More (5-5) will travel to Oberlin, OH for a tri-match Saturday with Oberlin and Hiram.   

9/11/06

Five-set heartbreak

CINCINNATI, OH - Freshman Kristine Rust (Independence/Simon Kenton) had her fourth 20-plus kill match as Thomas More almost upset nationally-ranked Mount St. Joseph, falling in five, 30-25, 16-30, 30-28, 25-30, 13-15, Saturday in the Mt. St. Joseph Invitational.

     Rust recorded 22 kills with four block solos for the Saints. Classmate Leslie Hoelscher (Ft. Loramie, OH/Ft. Loramie) added 11 kills, seven block assists and four block solos.

     Junior Valeri Kuhn (Cincinnati, OH/Oak Hills) recorded 32 assists, while junior Jenny Schutte (Harrison, OH/Harrisonhad a team-high 25 digs. Sophomore Jessica Tyner (Cincinnati, OH/McNicholas) added 17 digs for TMC.

     In the fourth and final match of the Invitational, the Saints lost to Capital, 21-30, 12-30, 19-30.

     Rust had eight kills and Hoelscher seven, while Kuhn distributed 21 assists. She now needs 281 assists to break the school's assists record.

     Thomas More (4-5) will have its home opener Thursday when they host Transylvania.

TMC drops Whitman, split on Friday

CINCINNATI, OH - The freshman duo of Leslie Hoelscher (Ft. Loramie, OH/Ft. Loramie) and Kristine Rust  (pictured) (Independence/Simon Kenton) combined for 17 kills in last two games as Thomas More came back to defeat Whitman in the Mount St. Joseph Invitational, 19-30, 30-21, 30-27, 30-27.

     The win snapped a two-match losing streak for the Saints, after they lost their opener of the two-day event to Carnegie Mellon, 32-34, 30-25, 30-28.

     Hoelscher finished the match with a team-high 16 kills, seven block assists and four block solos. Rust added 12 kills for TMC. Sophomore Jessica Tyner (Cincinnati, OH/McNicholas) added 13 kills for the Saints.

     Junior Valeri Kuhn (Cincinnati, OH/Oak Hills) recorded 43 assists to bring her two match total to 75. She now has 3,117 assists in her career, leaving her 334 shy of the school record. Junior Jenny Schutte (Harrison, OH/Harrison) recorded a team-high 23 digs, while junior Lindsey Webb (Mason, OH/Mason) had 18 and junior Michelle Headley (Cincinnati, OH/Northwest) added 17.

     In the opener, Tyner led the Saints with 10 kills, while Hoelscher chipped in with eight. Schutte recorded 10 digs and Tyner nine, while Hoeslcher added four block assists and two block solos.

     Kuhn recorded 32 assists for Thomas More (4-3), who will face host-Mount St. Joseph 11 a.m. Saturday before playing Capital at 3 p.m.

Saints Drop Four-Setter to Franklin

FRANKLIN, IN - Thomas More lost a four-set non-conference match to Franklin Wednesday, 26-30, 31-29, 21-30, 24-30.

     Freshman Leslie Hoelscher (Fort Loramie, OH/Fort Loramie) recorded her fourth consecutive 20-plus kill match with a team-high 24. Sophomore Jessica Tyner (Cincinnati, OH/McNicholas) added 16, while freshman Kristine Rust (Independence/Simon Kenton) chipped in with 14.

     Junior Valeri Kuhn (Cincinnati, OH/Oak Hills) distributed 55 assists, giving her 3,042 on her career and leaving her 409 away from the school record.

     Junior Jenny Schutte (Harrison, OH/Harrison) led the team with 30 digs, while Rust added 16, Lindsey Webb (Mason, OH/Mason) 14, and Tyner 12.

     Thomas More (3-2) will return to action this weekend at the Mount St. Joseph Invitational.     

Hoelscher earns National Player of Week

Leslie Hoelscher (Fort Loramie, OH/Fort Loramie) has raised the bar on expectations.

     The 5-10 freshman middle blocker was named Import Sports/AVCA National Player of the Week following her first weekend as a collegiate athlete. In leading the Saints to a 3-1 record, Hoelscher recorded 86 kills with just eight errors for a hitting percentage of .527. She averaged 5.38 kills per game, and added 10 block solos, 10 block assists and 22 digs.

    Her high in kills for the week was 30 against Virginia Wesleyan, and her best attack percentage was the .667 she posted against North Carolina Wesleyan.

    Hoelscher is the second Saints player to receive the Sports Imports/AVCA National Player of the Week honor, and the first since 1993.

Freshmen lead Saints to sweep

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA - Freshmen Kristine Rust (Independence/Simon Kenton) and Leslie Hoelscher (Ft. Loramie, OH/Fort Loramie) combined for 89 kills in two matches as Thomas More wrapped up the Wingate Innvitational on the campus of Virginia Wesleyan with two wins.

     The duo had 22 kills each in the Saints' four-set, 30-21, 30-16, 28-30, 30-15, win over Meredith in their first match of the day. Junior Valeri Kuhn (Cincinnati, OH/Oak Hills) recorded 57 assists, while Jenny Schutte (Harrison, OH/Harrison) had 20 digs. Sophomore Jessica Tyner (Cincinnati, OH/McNicholas) added 14 digs for the Saints. Sophomore Sara Corry (Bedford/Trimble County) and Rust had a block assist each.

     Rust led the way with 25 kills as Thomas More downed Gwynedd Mercy, 24-30, 30-23, 30-20, 30-27, to move to 3-1 on the young season. Hoelscher added her third straight 20-plus kill performance with 20.

     Kuhn had 53 assists to bring her weekend total to 189, moving her into third place on the school's all-time assist list with 2,987. She needs 464 assists to surpass Peggy Westerstroem for the all-time lead. Schutte led the way with 27 digs, while Tyner added 20. Rust recorded 15 digs and Hoelscher chipped in with 13.

     In addition to her 20 kills and 13 digs, Hoelscher recorded six block solos and three block assists.

     Thomas More (3-1) will travel to Franklin Wednesday for a non-conference match-up with the Grizzlies.

Saints open season with split

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA - The Thomas More women's volleyball team opened its season with a resounding three-set win, 30-13, 30-19, 30-20, over North Carolina Wesleyan at the Wingate Innvitational on the campus of Virginia Wesleyan University Friday. However, in the second match of the day, the Saints fell to host Virginia Wesleyan in five sets, 30-23, 19-30, 28-30, 30-26, 18-20.

     Freshman Leslie Hoelscher (Fort Loramie, OH/Fort Loramie) kicked off her collegiate career with 14 kills on 21 attempts. She had no hitting errors and recorded an hitting percentage of .667. The freshman middle blocker added four block solos and three block assists.

     Junior Valeri Kuhn (Cincinnati, OH/Oak Hills) dished out a team-high 21 assists, four service aces and three block assists, while classmate Jenny Schutte (Harrison, OH/Harrison) had a team-high six aces and nine digs.

     In the second match, Hoelscher recorded a team-high 30 kills with 11 digs and six block assists. Sophomore Jessica Tyner (Cincinnati, OH/McNicholas) added 13 kills and freshman Kristin Rust (Independence/Simon Kenton) chipped in with 12. Kuhn had 58 assists and Schutte had 15 digs.

      Thomas More (1-1) will face Meredith 9 a.m. Saturday and Gwynedd Mercy at 11 a.m..