MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – For the second straight season, the St. Thomas University women's volleyball has advanced to the Final Four of The Sun Conference Championships. Third seeded St. Thomas (14-13) handily defeated no. 6 seed Ave Maria (6-17) in straight sets on Tuesday night in the opening round of the annual conference tournament at the Fernandez Family Center. It marked the eighth match this season that the Bobcats have won in straight sets.

Senior Nicole McInnis led the Bobcats with 16 kills, while freshman Dana Nowaczyk recorded 26 assists, 10 digs, five kills, and four service aces. Sophomore Jordan Wiese registered 15 digs to go along with three assists. Freshman Marisa Markus added seven kills, while senior Rosa Viera chipped in with five kills and three digs.

The Bobcats cruised to a 25-10 in the opening set behind five kills by McInnis and a five-dig, five-assist set by Nowacyk. Defensively, Chancie Grant set a tone for the rest of the match in the net area with two blocks.

The second set was a closer affair with STU winning 25-15. Nowacyk assisted on five points, including six kills by McInnis in the set. Markus and Viera each became more active in the second stanza with three kills apiece.

The Bobcats put the match away with a 25-13 win in the final stanza.

St. Thomas will travel to Daytona Beach for the final four of The Sun Conference Championships. The team will depart Miami Gardens on Thursday for the postseason conference awards banquet that evening. On Friday, the Bobcats will face second seeded Southeastern at 4 p.m. in the first of two semifinals at the ICI Center on the Embry-Riddle campus. The championship match is scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m. at the ICI Center.