ST. PAUL, Minn. – In a battle of the top-two teams in the MIAC standings, the Bethel University volleyball team saw its 10-match winning streak snapped at the hands of No. 17th-ranked St. Thomas Wednesday evening, 3-1. The host Tommies won three straight sets after the Royals took the opener winning by scores of 23-25, 25-16, 25-21 and 25-20.

Junior Maria Claflin led the way with a match-high 17 kills hitting .375 to go along with five blocks for the night. Junior Macie Gavic added 11 kills while Hannah Wilhite added six. Wilhite tallied 27 assists while Ellie Hoyt contributed 11. Defensive specialist Dominique Dabu was all over the place picking up 32 digs.

The Royals went down 4-1 before going on a 6-0 run taking a 7-4 lead in the first set. The Tommies came back at the Royals tying it up at 11-11 before Bethel eventually led 16-12 forcing a UST timeout. Out of the timeout the Tommies pulled within one before tying it up at 20-20. Tying it up once again at 23-23 was St. Thomas before back-to-back kills by Claflin gave BU the opening set.

A back and forth start to set two eventually shifted towards St. Thomas who went on a 9-0 run that couldn't be stopped by a pair of Bethel timeouts. The run was ended with back-to-back kills by Kelsie Sealock but the damage had been done. BU got within as little as five before UST pulled away taking it 25-16.

After Bethel went up 12-11 in the third, a 6-0 run by the Tommies opened the lead up to five. A service ace from Hoyt and a pair of kills from Claflin put the Royals within 22-21. scoring the final three points on three straight kills was UST taking the third. The Royals allowed a 6-2 opening run from UST in the fourth. Another kill from Claflin tied it at 13-13 before UST rattled off there straight. St. Thomas held the lead the rest of the way taking the final set 25-20.