PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (Sept. 26, 2026) – Thanks to a big game from sophomore outside hitter
Alexa Pomeroy (Eastvale, Calif. / Pomona Catholic) and others, the Thomas Jefferson University women's volleyball team found a way to stay perfect in conference play this season, defeating Felician University in front of a raucous Homecoming crowd.
The win proved to be the Rams' second five-set victory of the week, though this one came under different circumstances.
Earlier in the week, the Rams staved off a match point in the fourth set to defeat Chestnut Hill College. This time, they dominated the first two sets but left the door open for Golden Hawks to kick it in and force the deciding set. However, along the way, the game proved to be a mini-breakout for Pomeroy, who served as an offensive focal point for the Rams in the early going. The Californian had four of her whopping seven service aces on the match in the first set, and all of them came as part of a single run. Senior outside hitter
Emily McKenna (Drexel Hill, Pa. / Sacred Heart Academy) had two aces of her own during the opening stanza, but didn't truly find her offense until late when the Rams needed it most.
In the early going, it was Pomeroy who carried Jefferson' offensive efforts. She finished the match with 16 kills to go with 13 digs and a .262 hitting percentage. She worked excellently in tandem with freshman setter
Lyllah Sapp (Bakersfield, Calif. / Frontier), who had 43 aces, just one short of her total against Chestnut Hill earlier in the week.
With their backs against the wall, however, Felician found its form late, putting the onus on the Rams to find a way to win in the deciding set. Jefferson took advantage of a couple service errors early in the final frame from the Golden Falcons, however, and over the final 10 points proved to be the better volleyball team on this day. It was here that junior middle blocker
Liz Tanis (Abington, Pa. / Abington) stepped up in a big way. With just two attempts on consecutive points, Tanis finished those points emphatically, setting up for McKenna to score the deciding point of the match at 14-13 to give the Rams an emotional Homecoming victory. Junior middle blocker
Pemi Areola (Kingwood, Texas / Kingwood) also proved to be a big part of the equation with 10 kills and a team-high four assisted blocks as Rams beat the Golden Falcons at the net at an 8:5 clip.
Head Coach Eric Schaefer and the Rams will look to make it five wins in the CACC without a loss when they head to fellow unbeaten Holy Family University (3-0 CACC) where they will play for early season CACC supremacy. Game time is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
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