Tommies volleyball team adds another chapter to rivalry with Sainte-Anne

Parker Melnick during a game against Sainte-Anne last season (Submitted: STU Athletics) 

A rivalry developed over the past few years between the St. Thomas University (STU) Tommies and Université Sainte-Anne (UStA) Dragons.

The two volleyball teams have split wins over the past two years. STU defeated the Dragons in the 2024 ACAA Championship. The Tommies finished with a 3-1 victory. 

Sainte-Anne defeated the Tommies in the finals last season. During the game, STU won the first set, but they dropped the next three to fall short. 

STU and UStA play each other four times during the regular season. Two of the games are hosted by the Tommies, while the other two are played on the road. If both teams make the playoffs, then they are more than likely to match up on a fifth occasion. 

STU took on Sainte-Anne in the team’s home opener on Oct. 25. Hosting the pair of matches added another chapter in the growing rivalry between the Dragons and the Tommies.

Parker Melnick, a left side for the Tommies, is in his third season with the team and has experienced both sets of emotions during his time at STU.

Melnick believes the Tommies must be in “tip-top shape” to play the Dragons. Some years, the Tommies are the better team. Other times, Sainte-Anne is the team to beat. Yet, he is sometimes a lot more worried about putting on a show for the fans.

He said he is “super excited” for the games between the two squads this season. 

“I think Sainte-Anne versus the Tommies is a super exciting game to watch. As far as East Coast volleyball goes, it's as entertaining as it gets,” said Melnick. “We're both going to be trying to prove who really deserves to be that top team.” 

Melnick’s first season came the same year the team won the championship. He thought the team had a rocky regular season, one where they did not have a great record. Yet, when the playoffs rolled around, Melnick felt that “something happened” that caused the team to spark in the finals. 

Last season, STU was on the wrong side of the finals. Melnick described the feeling as a “huge crash” compared to the year before. 

“That Sainte-Anne game was electric. I think everybody was having a great time and was really pumped up. And after the game, we were flying super high. It was some of the best feelings I've ever had when it comes to any sport that I've played,” he said. “When we lost last year, I couldn't even see that happening ... and I was kind of devastated.”  

Melnick hopes the two teams will meet in the finals for a third time. If that happens, he wants the squads to be at the top of their competition level.

“In the regular season, it’s going to be all about just controlling what we're doing. When it comes to us and Sainte-Anne, it's not necessarily about who is the better team. It's about who's playing better that day, because that's how it normally goes. Sometimes we'll win and we'll say, 'oh, man, we weren't tip top,' but neither were they." 

Thomas Blizzard, a fourth-year outside hitter and libero for the Tommies, transferred to STU after his first year. Like Melnick, the year that the team took down Sainte-Anne was his first with his hometown volleyball squad. 

Blizzard believes the squad doesn't have a certain mindset when it comes to facing the Dragons. Instead, STU treats every game in the same manner. It doesn't matter who the team is playing or who their opponents are. 

According to Blizzard, the team is more concerned with “doing the little things right.” 

“Every time we see [the game] on the schedule, it's always a little bit extra...The Dragons bring a lot of energy. They have a great crowd. So anytime we play, it's probably one of the most entertaining games of the year for us. We really enjoy that,” said Blizzard.

“It’s circled on the calendar,” he said. 

The Tommies’ roster has largely stayed the same since their championship win. At the end of this season, many of the team’s core group will be ending their volleyball careers.

Therefore, Blizzard thinks this season could be the last time STU will face UStA with their current team. 

He called starting the season against the Dragons “special.” 

“Every finals match is going to be the most emotional match of the year. It's when everybody's bringing probably their best level of competition,” said Blizzard. “No matter the result, at the end of it, you're mentally and physically tired.”  

Blizzard wants the team to build on the small habits that will lead them to a championship come season’s end.

“Hopefully we're able to take each game against Sainte-Anne with our best level of competition,” he said.