PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (Nov. 10, 2026) – The Thomas Jefferson University volleyball team opened its postseason with a sweep Tuesday, defeating Post University, 3-0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-19), in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Tournament Quarterfinals at the Gallagher Athletic Center. The tournament's top-seeded Rams improved to 25-6 and advanced to Saturday's semifinal round.
Overall, it took a balanced effort from each of the Rams' upperclassmen. However, junior middle blocker Pemi Areola (Kingwood, Texas / Kingwood) made her presence especially felt on both sides of the net, supplying nine kills on .400 hitting and six blocks, including two solo stops. Jefferson finished with 48 kills and a .295 hitting percentage with senior Emily McKenna (Drexel Hill, Pa. / Sacred Heart Academy) led Jefferson with 11 kills. Junior Liz Tanis (Abington, Pa. / Abington) contributed 10 kills on .500 hitting, while junior Alexa Mork (West Chester, Pa. / West Chester East / Towson University) added 10 kills and seven digs.
The Rams hit .406 in the opening set, using seven consecutive points to turn a 16-14 advantage into a 23-14 lead. Jefferson followed with 18 kills in the second, which ended on a combined block from Areola and Mork.
The decisive stretch came in the third. Trailing 9-13, Jefferson rattled off 11 straight points to take control. Areola contributed four kills and two block assists during the run, while four-time CACC Rookie of the Week and Setter of the Week Lyllah Sapp (Bakersfield, Calif. / Frontier) supplied two aces while orchestrating the big run on her serve. Tanis and McKenna later delivered consecutive kills to finish the sweep.
Sapp totaled 36 assists and seven digs over the entire match, which spanned just over 70 minutes of action. Sophomore libero Kate Hines (Newark, Del. / Delaware Military Academy) anchored the back row with 22 digs and added five assists and three service aces.
Head Coach Eric Schaefer and the Rams will face South Division third seed Goldey-Beacom College in Saturday's semifinal at 11 a.m. at Holy Family University's Campus Center Gymnasium. Jefferson swept both regular-season meetings, including this past Saturday's division-clinching victory on the road in Wilmington. The winner advances to Sunday's CACC Championship match, which is scheduled for a noon start time. Wilmington University will take on Bridgeport University in the other semifinal, with the Purple Knights coming off an upset of the South Division's No. 2 seed and tournament host Holy Family.
Follow and show support for your Thomas Jefferson University Rams on X (@jeffersonrams), Facebook and Instagram
