Sept. 8, 2005
Complete Match Notes in PDF Format
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UTSA Dome RallySan Antonio, Texas • AlamodomeFriday, September 9Oklahoma (4-1) vs. Rice (4-1), 11 a.m. (CDT)Texas-San Antonio (3-1) vs. Louisiana State (6-0), 1:30 p.m.#13 Texas A&M (5-0) vs. #6 Florida (5-0), 4:30 p.m.#19 Notre Dame (3-0) vs. #8 USC (2-2), 7 p.m.- Real-Time Statistics: www.goutsa.com (linked via www.und.com)Saturday, September 10#13 Texas A&M vs. Louisiana State, 11 a.m.#19 Notre Dame vs. Oklahoma, 1:30 p.m.- Real-Time Statistics: www.goutsa.com (linked via www.und.com)#8 USC vs. #6 Florida, 4:30 p.m.UT-San Antonio vs. Rice, 7 p.m.Sunday, September 11#19 Notre Dame vs. #6 Florida, 11 a.m.- Free Live Audio: www.gatorzone.com- Real-Time Statistics: www.goutsa.com (linked via www.und.com)#13 Texas A&M vs. #8 USC, 1 p.m.Louisiana State vs. Rice, 3 p.m.UT-San Antonio vs. Oklahoma, 5 p.m.
#19 IRISH SET TO CHALLENGE A PAIR OF TOP-10 TEAMS THIS WEEKEND IN UTSA DOME RALLY: The 19th-ranked University of Notre Dame women’s volleyball team (3-0), which upset then-#11 Texas en route to winning its fifth consecutive Shamrock Invitational last weekend, will continue to take on some of the nation’s top teams when it makes the first trip to San Antonio, Texas, in program history for this weekend’s UTSA Dome Rally in the Alamodome, which also will play host to this year’s NCAA final four. The Irish will take on #8 USC (2-2) on Friday at 7 p.m. (CDT), Oklahoma (4-1) on Saturday at 1:30 p.m., and #6 Florida (5-0) at 11 a.m. on Sunday.
THE RADIO PLANS: Sunday’s Notre Dame-Florida match will be broadcast on WRUF-AM 850 in the Gainesville, Fla., area and will be available for free via Florida’s website, www.gatorzone.com.
REAL-TIME STATS: Live in-game statistics will available for all matches in the UTSA Dome Rally. They are accessible through the tournament website, linked on the front page of UT-San Antonio’s official athletics site, www.goutsa.com, and are also linked on the Irish athletics site, www.und.com.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS NOTES PACKAGE: Below are some of the top points from this notes package. For more details on any topic, consult the remainder of this release.
* Despite playing without one starter (OPP Adrianna Stasiuk) in the opener and two starters (Stasiuk and OH Ellen Heintzman) last weekend, Notre Dame is 3-0 for the fourth time in the last six seasons (but is looking to open 4-0 for the first time since 1995) after having beaten Michigan (3-0), #11 Texas (3-2), and Arizona State (3-2).
* The Irish moved into the CSTV/AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25 at 19th this week, the second-largest jump in program history.
* The Irish returned nine of their top 10 players (in terms of games played) from the `04 squad that was 23-7, won the BIG EAST championship and lost in the NCAA round of 32.
* For the first time in 11 years of being a league member, Notre Dame is not the preseason favorite of the head coaches to win the BIG EAST Conference, as the Irish were picked to finish second behind newcomer Louisville. The Irish and Cardinals will play on Oct. 29 in the Joyce Center.
* Senior co-captain MB Lauren Brewster was tabbed the National Player of the Week by Collegiate Volleyball Update after leading the Irish to the title in the Shamrock Invitational. She was the MVP of that event and the BIG EAST Player of the Week.
* Freshman OH Mallorie Croal was the BIG EAST Rookie of the Week after stepping into the starting lineup for the first time. Croal, senior OH Meg Henican, and sophomore S Ashley Tarutis were named to the Shamrock Invitational all-tournament team.
* Brewster is the BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year. A fourth-year starter and the 2003 NCAA blocking champ, she became Notre Dame’s second All-American in 2004 (its first to earn honors from the AVCA) after being the BIG EAST tournament MVP and ending as one of just two Division I players to average over 1.50 blocks (1.54) and 1.50 digs (2.18) in `04.
* Senior OH/MB Lauren Kelbley also is on the preseason all-BIG EAST team. She is one of just two Division I players (also Minnesota libero Paula Gentil) to have been an AVCA all-region selection in each of the last three years.
* In 2004, Henican broke Irish marks for digs in a season (553), season dig average (4.94), digs in any-length match (37 in four games vs. Seton Hall on Oct. 10, 2004), and digs in an NCAA tournament match (27 vs. Valparaiso in `04 first round).
* Other starters returning for the Irish are Tarutis, Stasiuk, and senior MB/OPP Carolyn Cooper. The team is 19-2 when Cooper is in the starting lineup, while Stasiuk was twice the BIG EAST Rookie of the Week in `04 (as well as the first ND player since `98 to register a triple-double) and Tarutis took over as the team’s starting setter in the third match of her collegiate career.
* Notre Dame ranked in the top five in Division I in team block average for the fourth consecutive season in 2004, ending up fourth (3.37 per game), and it has back eight of its top nine blockers from that group. The Irish led the nation in 2003 (3.72) after being second in `02 (3.66) and fifth in `01 (3.53). Senior MB Lauren Brewster was the `03 national individual blocking champ (1.78 per game), and she also was fourth in `02 (1.68) and 21st in `04 (1.54).
* Notre Dame’s serve-receiving unit has been outstanding over the past two campaigns, due largely to the efforts of senior co-captain L/OH Meg Henican. The `03 team — which had Henican and Jessica Kinder as the primary receivers — smashed the Irish record for fewest service aces allowed per game (0.94, record was 1.11 in `96). A year ago, Henican and current sophomore OPP Adrianna Stasiuk led Notre Dame to its second-best season in that area, surrendering just 0.96 aces per game. The Irish have allowed just eight service aces in 13 games (0.62), including eight games without an ace.
* Notre Dame has five seniors on its roster in 2005: MB Lauren Brewster, S Kelly Burrell, MB Carolyn Cooper, L/OH Meg Henican, and OH/MB Lauren Kelbley. It is just the third ND team ever to have five or more seniors (also 1992 and 2000).
* The 2005 Irish came into the season as one of the most-experienced groups in program history, as Notre Dame returned nine of its top 10 players from last year. All nine Irish returnees had been starters in the past, combining for 284 career starts (31.6) per person (which does not include libero starts).
* After beating #11 Texas last weekend, this year’s seniors comprise just the second group in Irish history to beat a top-15 squad in each of its four seasons. The class of 1996 was the other.
* This is Notre Dame volleyball’s first-ever trip to San Antonio.
* Senior OPP/MB Carolyn Cooper (Houston/Lutheran South Academy) is the ninth Texas native to play volleyball for the Irish.
* Notre Dame head coach Debbie Brown was a standout outside hitter for USC, leading the Women of Troy to a 72-1 record and national championships in both 1976 and `77 before leaving to train with the U.S. national team. She won the Mikasa Award both years as the nation’s top all-around player.
* Senior co-captain L/OH Meg Henican has played in each of the last 252 Notre Dame games, the longest streak ever for an Irish player.
* Senior co-captain L/OH Meg Henican has had 10+ digs in each of the last 31 matches and 20 or more in nine of the last 12.
* Senior co-captain MB Lauren Brewster has played in all 95 matches since she became a member of the Irish in 2002, starting 92 of them.
* Sophomore OPP Adrianna Stasiuk started all 30 matches as a rookie in 2004, but has yet to play in 2005 due to an offseason rib injury. Sophomore OH Ellen Heintzman missed last weekend due to a knee injury suffered in the season opener.
* Though it rarely happens — the Irish have been outblocked just eight times in 63 matches over the last three seasons — Notre Dame has lost nine in a row when being outblocked (dating back to the `02 BIG EAST tournament against Connecticut).
* Notre Dame has won 32 of its last 33 matches (dating back to 11/17/02) when finishing with more digs than the opponent.
* The Irish have won 43 consecutive matches when taking a 2-0 lead, with the last loss coming on Sept. 18, 2002, against Purdue.
* Notre Dame was 6-0 in neutral-site matches in 2004, posting victories against Fresno State, Sacramento State, Michigan State, Boston College, UC Irvine, and Valparaiso. The last Irish loss on a neutral court came vs. Louisville in the opening round of the 2003 NCAA tournament in Urbana, Ill.
* Senior co-captain OH/L Meg Henican, a native of New Orleans, has been the center of media attention due to Hurricane Katrina hitting the gulf coast. All of her family was safely evacuated from the area, including her parents, Marge and Joe, who had planned all along to be in South Bend last week.
* The Notre Dame volleyball team posted its highest grade-point average on record for an academic year in 2004-05, a 3.362. The Irish received a Game Plan/American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award and were one of just four teams (along with Kansas State, Ohio, and Wichita State) to be honored with that and reach the round of 32 in the NCAA tournament.
The Irish in Brief …
SNAPSHOT OF THE IRISH: Notre Dame’s women’s volleyball program, now in its 26th varsity season, has experienced a wealth of success since the arrival of head coach Debbie Brown in 1991. Now in her 15th season, Brown has guided Notre Dame to a winning record every year (and 20+ wins in each year but one), compiling a 347-118 (.746) mark. The Irish have earned 13 consecutive berths to the NCAA Championship, including a `93 quarterfinal finish and three trips to the round of 16 (1994, `95, and `97). Since joining the BIG EAST Conference in `95, Notre Dame has dominated the league, winning nine regular-season and eight tournament titles in 10 years. Overall, the Irish are 107-6 (.947) in regular-season BIG EAST play and 19-2 (.905) in conference tournament action. Notre Dame is 60-1 (.984) in BIG EAST regular-season matches in the Joyce Center. The 2005 Irish team returned nine of its top 10 players from last year’s squad that was 21-9, won both the regular-season and tournament titles in the BIG EAST and reached the round of 32 in the NCAA tournament. The Irish also were among the top five blocking teams in Division I for the fourth straight year (4th, 3.37 after being 1st in `03), and they returned eight of their top nine blockers from that group. This year’s squad is one of the most-veteran groups in program history, featuring five seniors. Plus, all nine returnees had been a starter at some point in the past.
Up front, Notre Dame is led by a potent pair of senior fourth-year starters named Lauren: MB Lauren Brewster and OH/MB Lauren Kelbley (KELL-blee). Brewster, the 2003 NCAA blocking champ, became the second All-American in program history in 2004, earning third-team accolades from the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). The 2005 BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year after being a first-team all-conference pick twice and the `04 MVP of the league tournament, she has led the conference in blocking in each of the last three years and ranks second in Irish history in career hitting percentage and block average. Brewster was the MVP of the Shamrock Invitational last week, as well as the BIG EAST Player of the Week and Collegiate Volleyball Update’s National Player of the Week. Kelbley is the only Division I hitter to have been an all-region selection by the AVCA in each of the last three years. She was honorable mention All-America in both 2003 and `04 and came into the season as the only player to rank among the top five in Irish history in career hitting percentage and career kill average. Kelbley began her collegiate career at middle blocker before moving to outside hitter late in 2003 and then leading Notre Dame in kills from that position a year ago.
Senior co-captain OH/L Meg Henican (HENN-ih-kin) is back for her third year in the starting lineup. She has played mostly libero over the past two campaigns, but has also seen time at outside hitter (where she played in the first three matches of `05). Henican turned in the top digging campaign ever by an Irish competitor in 2004, breaking the ND records for digs in a season (553) and season dig average (4.94), plus the marks for digs in any-length match (37 in four games vs. Seton Hall on 10/10/04) and digs in an NCAA-tournament match (27 vs. Valparaiso in the first round).
Two other Irish hitters — senior MB/OPP Carolyn Cooper and sophomore OPP/OH Adrianna Stasiuk (stuh-SHEWK) — are back for their second seasons as starters. The veteran stepped into the lineup at middle blocker a month into the `04 campaign and has seen Notre Dame post a 19-2 record with her as a starter through her career. Stasiuk started every match in her rookie season at opposite and was tabbed the BIG EAST Rookie of the Week twice and led the team in service aces (41), becoming just the second ND freshman to hit the 40-ace mark. She missed the first three matches of this season after suffering an offseason rib injury.
The graduation of four-year starter Emily Loomis — who played all across the front row and finished her career fifth in kills (1,321) — opened up one starting spot in the lineup, which was filled in the opener by sophomore OH Ellen Heintzman (HIGHNTZ-min). She started eight matches at that position in 2004 and was a spot contributor off the bench, as well. Last weekend, freshman OH Mallorie Croal (krole) filled in for Heintzman, who was out with a knee injury. The rookie, a Volleyball magazine Fab 50 selection, responded with a pair of double-doubles (22 digs vs. Arizona State) and was the BIG EAST Rookie of the Week.
Back in the starting setting role again this season is sophomore Ashley Tarutis (tuh-ROO-diss), who took over as the team’s top setter in the third match of 2004 and helped the Irish lead the BIG EAST in hitting percentage in league matches (.254). She has led Notre Dame to a 3-0 record and a .233 hitting mark in `05, while posting double-doubles in every match. Senior S Kelly Burrell (burr-ELLE) is the backup setter, as she has been throughout her career.
When Henican is not in the libero jersey (which is green this season for the first time after being blue for two years and gold in `04), it will likely be filled by junior L/DS Danielle Herndon. She has been a regular throughout her career at both that spot and defensive specialist. Freshman DS/S Madison Clark has been a regular back-row sub for Notre Dame early this season, while MB Justine Stremick debuted against Arizona State to give ND more height in the front row.
HEAD COACH Debbie Brown: Irish head coach Debbie Brown is in her 15th season at the helm of the Notre Dame program. She has led the Irish to a 347-118 (.746) mark, while holding a 464-201 (.698) overall record. Brown’s Notre Dame teams have earned 13 consecutive NCAA tournament berths, advancing to the quarterfinals in 1993 and the round of 16 in `94, `95, and `97. Her squads have won 20 or more matches 12 times. A nine-time conference coach of the year and the only four-time BIG EAST coach of the year (in addition to four honors in the Midwestern Collegiate Conference and one in the Pac-10), she has coached eight Irish players to All-America honors, while 35 have gained all-BIG EAST mention since 1995. The Irish also have claimed 13 regular-season conference titles (4 Midwestern Collegiate, 9 BIG EAST) and 12 league tournament crowns (4 MCC, 8 BIG EAST). A co-captain of the 1980 U.S. Olympic volleyball team after winning a pair of national championships and earning All-America honors twice while playing at USC, Brown graduated from Arizona State in 1982 and coached her alma mater from 1983-88, helping the Sun Devils to five NCAA tournaments.
ND RISES TO 19TH IN CSTV/AVCA POLL: After beating #11 Texas and Arizona State last weekend to claim the title in The Inn at Saint Mary’s Shamrock Invitational, Notre Dame entered the CSTV/AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25 this week at 19th after being the second team receiving votes outside of the top 25 in the preseason. It was the second-largest jump ever for the Irish in the poll, behind only their movement to 18th in the final rankings after being unranked heading into the 1997 NCAA tournament, in which ND upset #18 Arkansas before losing to #4 Wisconsin in the round of16. The Irish had been absent from the AVCA top 25 since the preseason poll in 2004, and this week marks the highest listing for the Irish since they were 17th on Nov. 24, 2003. Since being ranked for the first time in the preseason of 1992, the Irish have been listed in the AVCA top 25 at some point in every season except for one (1999). This is the 11th time in those 14 years that ND has been in the top 20. In all, Notre Dame has been ranked in 121 of the 200 polls since then (61%). Only 20 schools have been ranked on more occasions than the Irish since the AVCA rankings debuted in 1982, and just 16 have been in more polls since the commencement of the 1992 campaign. Five of Notre Dame’s 2005 opponents are also in the top 20: #6 Florida, #8 Southern California, #11 Louisville, #16 Tennessee, and #17 Texas.
IRISH CHOSEN TO FINISH SECOND IN BIG EAST: Notre Dame, the defending regular-season and tournament champions, was picked to finish second in the BIG EAST Conference behind new arrival Louisville, which was 30-3 and ranked 16th nationally last season after reaching the NCAA round of 16. It is the first time in 11 seasons of conference emembership that the Irish — who have won nine regular-season and eight tournament titles in 10 years — are not the preseason favorites to win the league. Pittsburgh was chosen third, followed by two more newcomers, Cincinnati and Marquette. ND will welcome Louisville on Oct. 29 for a 2 p.m. (EST/CDT) showdown in the Joyce Center.
BREWSTER TABBED BIG EAST PRESEASON POY; KELBLEY ON ALL-LEAGUE TEAM: Senior middle blocker Lauren Brewster (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood H.S.), a third-team All-American and the conference-tournament MVP in 2004, was tabbed the BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year and is joined by fellow senior OH/MB Lauren Kelbley (Bascom, Ohio/Hopewell-Loudon H.S.) on the preseason all-BIG EAST team in voting by the league’s head coaches. Brewster is the fourth Notre Dame student-athlete – but first since 2001 – to be named the BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year in the eight years since the award debuted in 1998. Other Irish competitors to enter the season with that distinction were setter Denise Boylan in both `98 and 2000 and OPP Kristy Kreher in 2001. Only two of the previous seven preseason players of the year have gone on to also be the postseason picks of the coaches as the BIG EAST’s best player in the same season: Boylan in 2000 and Pittsburgh’s now-graduated Megan Miller a season ago. Notre Dame has placed multiple players on the preseason all-BIG EAST teams in each of its eight years of existence.
BREWSTER NAMED NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Senior MB Lauren Brewster (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood H.S.) was named the CVU.com National Player of the Week by the Collegiate Volleyball Update. It came on the heels of her being named the MVP of The Inn at Saint Mary’s Shamrock Invitational and the BIG EAST Player of the Week after leading the Irish to five-game victories against #11 Texas and Arizona State over the weekend to claim the tournament title. Brewster is the first Notre Dame player ever to earn the honor and the second to be tabbed national player of the week by any organization. The only two-time All-American in Irish history, OH Christy Peters, was recognized by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) on Sept. 27, 1993, after leading 14th-ranked Notre Dame to a three-game upset of #3 Nebraska in the Golden Dome Invitational, a victory that remains the highest-ranked win ever for the Irish. Brewster was the top Irish performer in both game fives over the weekend, combining for 10 kills on .381 hitting to go with four digs and two blocks in those decisive frames. For the tournament, Brewster led all players in both kills (46, 4.60 per game) and blocks (15, 1.50 per game) and was second in hitting percentage (.310). She also had 10 digs (1.00), two assists, and a service ace for 56.5 points (5.65).
Notes On This Week’s Matches …
USC IN BRIEF: The Women of Troy head to San Antonio with a 2-2 record, having beaten Cal Poly and Western Michigan by 3-0 scores and lost to #5 Penn State (3-1) and #4 Hawai’i (3-0) in the Hawaiian Airlines Classic last weekend … USC was listed seventh in the preseason AVCA poll, but dropped to eighth this week … early statistical leaders include seniors MB Bibiana Candelas (4.31 kills, .338), OH Staci Venski (4.08 kills), and S Nena Siljegovic (.471, 10.92 assists, .256 team hitting), junior L/DS Debora Seilhamer (5.08 digs), and sophomores S/OPP Kathleen Gilmour (0.36 aces) and MB/OPP Diane Copenhagen (4.31 kills, 3.23 digs) … the Trojans returned 11 letterwinners and five starters from last year’s team that was 23-6 and finished third in the Pacific-10 Conference (14-4 record), behind Washington and Stanford … USC earned an at-large berth to the NCAA tournament, but failed in its bid for a third consecutive national championship, defeating Charleston (3-0), Kansas State (3-0), San Diego (3-1), and top-seeded Nebraska (3-2) before losing in the semifinals to Minnesota (3-1) … the Women of Troy finished the year ranked fourth after being first for several weeks … gone from that team are a pair of first-team All-Americans — MB Emily Adams and OH Keao Burdine — as well as OH Sarah Florian and OH Alicia Robinson … returning starters were Candelas (third-team All-American in `04), Seilhamer (honorable mention all-Pac-10), Venski, and juniors S Alli Dillon and S Kimi Freeburg … the team’s top newcomer is freshman MB Kelli Tennant (Volleyball magazine Fab 50) … Mick Haley is in his fifth season coaching USC, having compiled a 116-13 (.899) record there and an 889-201-1 (.815) overall record in 28+ seasons, including four national championships … he also was the head coach of the U.S. national team that finished fourth in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia …the Women of Troy will play #6 Florida on Saturday and #13 Texas A&M on Sunday in the UTSA Dome Rally … up next is a home match against Pepperdine on Friday, Sept. 16.
ND-USC SERIES NOTES: The Irish and Trojans, traditional rivals in many sports, will meet for just the sixth time in volleyball and first since 2000 … the schools were slated to play last year in the Gamecock Invitational, but USC elected not to compete in the tournament due to travel concerns involving a hurricane … USC has won four of the previous meetings, including the last match, a five-game affair (15-11 in the fifth) in Los Angeles in 2000 … ND’s lone victory came in the 1995 Notre Dame Invitational, a 3-1 triumph … this will be just the second neutral-site meeting between the schools, with S.C. winning the other, a four-game match in the 1987 Sportmart Mid-America Classic in Chicago … this will be the fifth match in a row that both schools are ranked heading into the contest … Notre Dame has never faced a USC team ranked lower than 12th … S.C.’s win in 2000 is the only time the teams have played five games … the Irish have visited USC three times (1992, ’94, 2000) for matches over Thanksgiving weekend … Troy has won 13 of the 19 games … Irish head coach Debbie Brown (then Debbie Landreth) was a two-time first-team All-America outside hitter for USC from 1976-77, helping the Women of Troy to a 72-1 record and a pair of national championships before leaving to play for the U.S. national team … Brown, who grew up in the L.A. suburb of El Segundo and graduated from El Segundo High School, also won the Mikasa Award as the nation’s best all-around player in both ’76 and ’77 … she has a career 4-10 mark coaching against her former team, including 1-3 at Notre Dame … sophomore Ashley Tarutis (Long Beach, Los Alamitos HS) and freshman Mallorie Croal (Villa Park, Mater Dei HS), who both played for the Golden West Volleyball Club, are the latest Los Angeles-area products to play for the Irish … ND has had more volleyball players from California (23) than from any other state … the Trojans have twice snapped long Irish winning streaks, ending a 12-match victorious stretch in ’94, as well as an 11-match winning streak in ’00.
ND-USC MATCH-BY-MATCH: See pdf for the match scores of all five previous contests between the Irish and the Women of Troy. USC leads the series 4-1, including a win in the only previous neutral-site matchup and a 3-1 edge in the Debbie Brown era.
OKLAHOMA IN BRIEF: The Sooners head to San Antonio with a 4-1 record … they will face Rice on Friday in the UTSA Dome Rally before taking on the Irish …Oklahoma has victories over TCU (3-1), Indiana (3-0), Loyola Chicago (3-1), and UT-Arlington (3-0), while its lone loss came last weekend in the Bama Bash against the host school, Alabama (3-0) … early statistical leaders incldue senior OH Gabriela Tonon (3.24 kills), juniors OH Joanna Schmitt (5.45 kills, .462, 0.55 aces, 2.64 digs) and Rachel Jackson (12.81 assists, .269 team hitting), and sophomores OH Sarah Weiland (1.07 aces), Hannah Sharp (3.35 digs), and Anna Stadel (1.00 blocks) … the Sooners returned nine letterwinners and five starters from last year’s squad that was 12-17 and finished ninth in the Big 12 Conference (4-16 record) … gone from that team is OPP Keri Coats … returning starters were Schmitt, Tonon, senior MB Jennifer Adams, junior MB Laura Tomes, and sophomore S Julie Chester … the team’s top newcomer is junior MB Elaine Santos, a transfer who was an NJCAA first-team All-American at Southern Idaho last year … Santiago Restrepo is in his second year at Oklahoma, having compiled a 15-18 (.455) mark there and a 144-91 (.613) record in seven seasons overall as a head coach … OU will play the host school, UT-San Antonio, on Sunday and then next week take on #24 Kansas State at home on Wednesday before traveling to Kansas on Saturday.
ND-OU SERIES NOTES: The Irish and Sooners will meet for the first time since 1995 and the fifth time overall … the schools have split the previous contests … in the most-recent match, #8 ND prevailed in three games at the Purdue Premier in West Lafayette, Ind. … this will be the fourth neutral-site match between the teams, with the Irish having won two of the previous three … both teams have won seven games in the series … the first matchup was a 3-1 Sooner victory in the 1985 Georgia Classic in Athens … in 1989, Notre Dame beat Oklahoma for the first time, notching a four-game win in a tournament at Louisiana State … the only non-neutral match came in the 1990 Golden Dome Invitational in the Joyce Center, when Oklahoma won in three games … Debbie Brown holds an 18-14 career record against current members of the Big 12 Conference.
ND-OU MATCH-BY-MATCH: See pdf for the match scores of all four previous contests between the Irish and Sooners. The series is tied 2-2, with Notre Dame holding a 2-1 edge on neutral courts and a 1-0 advantage in the Debbie Brown era.
FLORIDA IN BRIEF: The Gators will arrive in San Antonio with a 5-0 record, having won all 15 games this season … Florida has wins over Jacksonville, Dayton, Missouri State, #15 UC-Santa Barbara, and Eastern Washington, all at home … the Gators closest game was the first against EWU, which was 30-27 … they will face #13 Texas A&M on Friday and #8 USC on Saturday before taking on the Irish … Florida is ranked sixth after being eighth in the preseason poll … early statistical leaders include seniors OH Jane Collymore (4.13 kills, 0.60 aces, 3.20 digs) and L/DS Rachel Engel (5.47 digs), sophomores OH Marcie Hampton (3.27 kills, .341), OPP Amber McCray (3.17 kills, .312, 1.08 blocks), MB Kisya Killingsworth (.403, 1.40 blocks), S Angie McGinnis (13.93 assists, .304 team hitting), and OH Kari Klinkenborg (1.00 blocks), and freshman MB Kelsey Bowers (.400) … the Gators returned nine letterwinners and five starters from last year’s squad that was 28-5 and tied for first with Tennessee in the eastern division of the Southeastern Conference (15-1 record) … Florida beat South Carolina (3-0) and Georgia (3-2) before losing in five games to Tennessee in the SEC tournament … the Gators received an at-large bid to the NCAAs, beating Florida A&M (3-0) before falling to eventual national champion Stanford (3-2) in the round of 32 … Florida finished the seaqson ranked 15th … gone from that team are a pair of players who were honorable mention All-America: MB Michelle Chatman and MB Sherri Williams … returning starters were Collymore (third-team All-American, SEC Player of the Year), Engel, Hampton (SEC all-freshman team), Killingsworth, and McGinnis (SEC Freshman of the Year) … Bowers (Volleyball magazine Fab 50, #5 on PrepVolleyball.com Senior Aces) and freshman MB Kristina Johnson of Indianapolis (Volleyball magazine Fab 50) are their top newcomers … Mary Wise is in her 15th season coaching at Florida, having compiled a 465-48 (.906) record there and a 545-111 (.831) in 19 seasons overall as a head coach … her winning percentage is the best in collegiate volleyball history … next up for Florida is a return home for the Campus USA Credit Union Classic next weekend, in which the Gators will play IPFW on Friday, Eastern Michigan or UC Irvine on Saturday, and Florida State on Monday.
ND-UF SERIES NOTES: The Irish and Florida will play for the first time since 2001 and the sixth time overall … the Gators have won four of the previous five matches, including each of the last three … in the most-recent contest, #7 Florida prevailed 3-1 against #25 Notre Dame in the ’01 Florida Volleyball Challenge in Buena Vista … the lone Irish victory in the series came in 1994 in Gainesville, when #12 ND upset #9 Florida in four games … this will be the third neutral-site match between the schools, with the Gators having won both of the others … this will be the fifth time in six meetings that both schools are listed among the national top 25 … Notre Dame has never faced a Florida team ranked lower than 10th … the Gators lead 13-5 in games won … the first meeting between the squads came in 1992 in the Purdue High-IQ tournament in West Lafayette, Ind., which produced a 3-0 victory for #10 UF over #22 ND … the Gators visited the Joyce Center once, when they were ranked #2 in 1997, beating #20 ND in four games … a season later, eighth-ranked Florida won 3-0 at home against the Irish … Debbie Brown holds a 14-12 career record against current members of the Southeastern Conference, including an 11-8 mark while at Notre Dame … junior Danielle Herndon (Plant City, Durant H.S., Tampa Bay Jrs.) and freshman Annie Mokris (Orlando, Bishop Moore H.S., Orlando Academy) are the latest Florida products to play volleyball for the Irish … prior to that duo, only two natives of the Sunshine State had played for Notre Dame … in the 1998 match, ND made just one serve error, which is tied for the fewest ever by the Irish in a match.
ND-UF MATCH-BY-MATCH: See pdf for the match scores of all five previous contests between the Irish and Gators. Florida leads the series 4-1, including a 2-0 mark in neutral-site contests.
Notre Dame Team Notes …
START ME UP: With victories over Michigan (3-0), #11 Texas (3-2), and Arizona State (3-2), Notre Dame is 3-0 for the first time since 2002, but the fourth time in the last six seasons. The last time the Irish began with four consecutive victories was 1995, when they began 8-0. The win over the Wolverines marked the 15th consecutive year that ND won its season opener and the 16th in a row that the Irish prevailed in their first home match of the season.
IRISH CHAMPIONS AGAIN: Notre Dame won a pair of five-game matches (vs. #11 Texas and Arizona State) to win the championship of The Inn at Saint Mary’s Shamrock Invitational for the fifth consecutive time and eighth time in 11 all-time tournaments. It meant that 2005 is the sixth consecutive season in which the Irish have captured at least one in-season tournament championship. Last season, they won both the Cal Poly Invitational and the Baden Thanksgiving Tournament in Long Beach, Calif. In 2003, Notre Dame won both the Longhorn Classic in Austin, Texas, and its own Shamrock Invitational. The Irish also won the Shamrock Invitational from 2000-02 and were the champions of the 2000 Lady Seminole Classic in Tallahassess, Fla., and the `02 Golden Dome Invitational at home.
ND vs. TOP-10 TEAMS: Notre Dame will take on a pair of top-10 teams this weekend, giving it a chance to register some of the top victories in program history. See pdf for a list of the eight all-time Irish victories over top-10 squads, plus last week’s upset of #11 Texas.
GIANT KILLERS: The five-member class of 2006 is just the second group in Notre Dame history to have upset a top-15 team in each of its four seasons playing for the Irish. The current seniors topped #10 Pepperdine in 2002, #10 Arizona in `03, #14 Utah a year ago, and #11 Texas last weekend. The only other class to do that was the duo of OH Brett Hensel and S Shannon Tuttle, which graduated in 1996 after being part of teams that beat #13 New Mexico in 1992, #9 Illinois, #3 Nebraska, and #8 Nebraska in `93, #15 Colorado and #9 Florida in `94, and #9 USC as well as #15 Colorado twice in `95.
BLOCK PARTY: The Irish appear poised to again be one of the top blocking teams in the nation in 2005. Notre Dame, which has led the BIG EAST Conference in each of the last four years and has been among the top five blocking teams in the NCAA in each of those seasons, returned eight of its top nine blockers from last year’s squad that averaged 3.37 per game, good enough for fourth nationally. After being fifth in 2001 (3.53) and second in ’02 (3.66), the Irish led Division I in team blocking in 2003 (3.72). Senior MB Lauren Brewster (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood H.S.), the BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year, has led the conference in blocking in both overall and league action in each of her three collegiate seasons. After setting Notre Dame freshman records in both total blocks (175) and block average (1.68) and coming in fourth nationally in 2002, she was the NCAA blocking champ in 2003 (1.78) and finished 21st last season (1.54). Through three matches, Notre Dame is averaging 3.38 blocks per game (despite playing a pair of game fives), with Brewster leading the team at 1.62, while fellow senior MB Carolyn Cooper (Houston, Texas/Lutheran South Academy) is averaging 1.38.
LET’S PLAY FIVE: Last weekend, Notre Dame beat both Texas and Arizona State in five-game matches. The Irish are 71-60 (.542) all-time in five-game affairs, including 9-7 since the current ND seniors stepped on campus (against some of the top programs in the country). See pdf for all of the 3-2 matches played by them.
WIDE RECEIVERS: Due largely to the efforts of senior OH/L Meg Henican (New Orleans, La./Isidore Newman H.S.), junior L/DS Danielle Herndon (Plant City, Fla./Durant H.S.), and freshmen DS/S Madison Clark (Sturgis, Mich./Sturgis H.S.) and OH Mallorie Croal (Villa Park, Calif./Mater Dei H.S.), Notre Dame surrendered just eight service aces in its first three matches of the season, an average of 0.62 per game. ND has not allowed an ace in eight of the 13 games thus far. The Irish are coming off the two best serve-receiving seasons in program history, having surrendered a program-record 0.94 aces per game in 2003 before allowing 0.96 last year.
THE IRISH EXPERIENCE: Notre Dame has one of its most-experienced teams in 2005, as the Irish return nine of their top 10 players (in terms of games played) from last year’s squad. All nine of Notre Dame’s returnees have been starters in the past, heading into the year having combined for 284 career starts (31.6 per person). A pair of fourth-year starters – seniors MB Lauren Brewster (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood H.S.) and OH/MB Lauren Kelbley (Bascom, Ohio/Hopewell-Loudon H.S.) – lead the Irish veterans, along with third-year starter L/OH Meg Henican (New Orleans, La./Isidore Newman H.S.), as well as three other returning starters: senior MB/OPP Carolyn Cooper (Houston, Texas/Lutheran South Academy) and sophomores S Ashley Tarutis (Long Beach, Calif./Los Alamitos H.S.) and OPP Adrianna Stasiuk (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine South H.S.).
SENIOR CITIZENS: Notre Dame has five seniors on its roster in 2005: MB Lauren Brewster, S Kelly Burrell, MB Carolyn Cooper, L/OH Meg Henican, and OH/MB Lauren Kelbley. The last Irish volleyball team to feature five seniors was the 2000 squad, which boasted S Denise Boylan, OH Christi Girton, S/DS Michelle Graham, MB/OPP Jo Jameyson, and OH Adrienne Shimmel. That team went 26-7 and finished ranked 21st after losing in five games at Ohio State in the round of 32 of the NCAA tournament. This is just the third time in the 26-year history of the varsity program that a team has featured five or more seniors. The other squad was the `92 one, which had DS Andrea Armento, OH Marilyn Cragin, MB Jessica Fiebelkorn, MB Cynthia May, MB Majenica Rupe, OH Jen Slosar, and OH Alicia Turner. That team went 30-8 and finished 22nd, falling in the round of 32 of the NCAAs.
IRISH TO FACE FIVE TOP-15 TEAMS: Ten teams that earned bids to last year’s NCAA Championship, including five that were in the top 15 of the `05 AVCA preseason poll, highlight the 2005 schedule. The marquee matches include showdowns with Texas (11th in AVCA poll, NCAA round of 16), USC (7th, semifinals), Florida (8th, second round), Louisville (14th, round of 16), and Tennessee (9th, round of 16). Among the other highlights of the schedule are three high-level tournaments, four home matches on ND football weekend, as well as some notable trips. In all, the Irish will play matches in 10 states and 12 different cities and will make their first-ever visits to San Antonio and New Orleans. Notre Dame also will play in Chicago for the first time since 1996, Louisville for the first time since ’94, and Milwaukee for the first time since ’86.
Notre Dame Player Notes …
BREWSTER’S ASU OUTPUT AMONG BEST EVER BY AN IRISH MB: Senior co-captain MB Lauren Brewster (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood H.S.) had 28 kills against Arizona State on Sunday. Only once has a Notre Dame middle blocker had more kills in a match. See pdf for the list of top kill totals by Irish middles:
… AND MOST IN THE JOYCE CENTER BY ANY PLAYER SINCE 2000: The 28 kills by senior co-captain MB Lauren Brewster (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood H.S.) against Arizona State on Sunday were the most in the Joyce Center by any player since Sept. 21, 2000, when Loyola Marymount’s Sarah McFarland had 45 (on 111 attempts, which still stands as an NCAA record for a four-game match) and Kristy Kreher of Notre Dame posted 32 in a four-game Irish triumph.
JUST CALL HER “MISS GAME FIVE”: Senior co-captain MB Lauren Brewster (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood H.S.) was outstanding last weekend in the two game fives in The Inn at Saint Mary’s Shamrock Invitational, posting 10 kills on .381 hitting to go with four digs and two blocks. Throughout her career in fifth games, Brewster is averaging 2.71 kills per game on .386 hitting (38-11-70) to go with 18 digs and 10 blocks for 43.5 points (3.11). [Note: Statistics unavailable from two game fives.]
A CAREER WEEKEND: In last weekend’s Shamrock Invitational, all nine Notre Dame players that saw action set and/or tied career highs in at least one statistical category. See pdf for a summary of the more-notable career-best performances:
IRISH 19-2 WHEN COOPER STARTS: Notre Dame has posted a 19-2 record when current senior MB/OPP Carolyn Cooper (Houston, Texas/Lutheran South Academy) is in the starting lineup, 1-0 in 2003, 16-2 in `04, and 2-0 this season.
BREWSTER, CROAL SWEEP BIG EAST WEEKLY AWARDS: Senior MB Lauren Brewster (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood H.S.) and freshman OH Mallorie Croal (Villa Park, Calif./Mater Dei H.S.) combined to lead a Notre Dame volleyball sweep of the BIG EAST Conference’s major weekly awards on Monday. Brewster was the league’s player of the week (as well as the Collegiate Volleyball Update National Player of the Week) after being tabbed MVP of the Shamrock Invitational. She led all players in both kills (46, 4.60 per game) and blocks (15, 1.50 per game) and was second in hitting percentage (.310). She also had 10 digs (1.00), two assists, and a service ace for 56.5 points (5.65). In the two game fives, Brewster had 10 kills on .381 hitting to go with four digs and two blocks. Croal moved into the starting lineup for the first time and responded with a pair of double-doubles, finishing the tournament with 30 kills (3.00 per game) on .212 hitting to go with 32 digs (3.20) and five blocks (0.50) for 34.5 points (3.45). Croal was one of two freshmen to be named to the Shamrock Invitational all-tournament team. It was the first sweep of the awards for the Irish since Oct. 18 of last year, when Brewster was the player of the week and current sophomore OPP Adrianna Stasiuk (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine South H.S.) was the conference’s top rookie.
SHAMROCK INVITATIONAL HONORS: Senior MB Lauren Brewster (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood H.S.) was the MVP of the Shamrock Invitational, becoming just the second player — from any school — to win that award multiple times (following OH Christy Peters, MVP in 1993 and `94). Senior OH Meg Henican (New Orleans, La./Isidore Newman H.S.), sophomore S Ashley Tarutis (Long Beach, Calif./Los Alamitos H.S.), and freshman OH Mallorie Croal (Villa Park, Calif./Mater Dei H.S.) were all named to the all-tournament team. Henican had 22 kills (2.20) and 34 digs (3.40), plus nine blocks (0.90) for 29.5 points (2.95), while Croal accounted for 30 kills (3.00 per game) on .212 hitting to go with 32 digs (3.20) and five blocks (0.50) for 34.5 points (3.45). Tarutis led the Irish to the tournament title and averaged 11.60 assists per game and set ND to a .221 hitting mark.
HENICAN A DIGGING MACHINE: Senior co-captain L/OH Meg Henican (New Orleans, La./Isidore Newman H.S.) heads into the UTSA Dome Rally having registered 10+ digs in 31 consecutive matches, dating back to Sept. 3, 2004, when she managed just five in a three-game loss to #2 Nebraska. Henican, who broke the Irish record for digs in a season in `04, also has had double-digit digs in 41 of the last 42 matches and 63 of the last 68. Despite playing outside hitter instead of libero, she had 22 digs in the season opener vs. Michigan and then 21 against Arizona State, meaning that she has had 20 or more digs in nine of the last 12 contests.
HENICAN ON PACE TO BREAK ND CAREER DIG AVERAGE RECORD: Senior co-captain L/OH Meg Henican (New Orleans, La./Isidore Newman H.S.) heads into this weekend averaging 3.83 digs per game throughout her career, which is on pace to break the Notre Dame record of 3.72 by Christy Peters (1991-94). She also needs 429 digs to reach Peters’ record for career digs (1,640).
HENICAN AND THE HURRICANE: Senior co-captain L/OH Meg Henican (New Orleans, La./Isidore Newman H.S.), a native of New Orleans, has been the center of some media attention this week, as Hurricane Katrina hit the gulf coast of the United States. Henican has been on campus since early August, while her parents — Marge and Joe — made the trip north for last weekend’s season-opening match against Michigan and had previously planned to stay in South Bend last week and for The Inn at Saint Mary’s Shamrock Invitational. Henican’s older brother Joe evacuated from New Orleans to Houston, while her older sister Colleen traveled north to Tennessee in order to avoid the storm.
IRON WOMAN I: Senior co-captain L/OH Meg Henican (New Orleans, La./Isidore Newman H.S.) enters the UTSA Dome Rally having played in each of the last 252 Irish games, the longest streak ever by a Notre Dame volleyball player. She played in just two of five games against Miami on Nov. 15, 2002, but then finished out that campaign and then appeared in every game in both 2003 and `04 and all 10 thus far this season. She is the only Irish player ever to play in every game in consecutive seasons.
IRON WOMAN II: Senior co-captain MB Lauren Brewster (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood H.S.) has played in all 95 Notre Dame matches since joining the team in 2002, starting 92 of them. She has a chance to be the third Irish player ever to play in every match during her career, following in the footsteps of Janelle Karlan (1990-93, 145 matches) and Jenny Birkner (1993-96, 140 matches).
HENICAN, STASIUK ANCHOR STELLAR SERVE-RECEIVING UNIT: Notre Dame’s 2004 serve-receiving unit, which was anchored by then-junior captain L Meg Henican (New Orleans, La./Isidore Newman H.S.) and freshman OPP Adrianna Stasiuk (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine South H.S.), proved to be one of the best in Irish history. Opponents averaged just 0.96 service aces per game in 2004, the second-best mark in Irish history, behind the 0.94 mark in `03, which also was led by Henican. Stasiuk made just 45 receiving errors this season, or one in every 2.49 games. Henican was even more solid, committing only 37 reception errors, an average of one in every 3.03 games. Only six times in 30 matches did Henican make multiple reception errors. Despite Stasiuk’s absence, Notre Dame has allowed just eight aces (0.62 per game) in three matches this season.
BREWSTER SECOND ALL-AMERICAN IN ND HISTORY: Senior MB Lauren Brewster (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood H.S.) was tabbed a third-team All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) in 2004 to become the second Notre Dame All-American and the first to earn honors from the AVCA. OH Christy Peters was picked a third-team All-American by Volleyball magazine in both 1993 and `94. On eight other occasions, Irish players have been honorable mention All-America, including Brewster in `03 and current senior OH/MB Lauren Kelbley (Bascom, Ohio/Hopewell-Loudon H.S.) in both `03 and `04. Brewster also is the first Tennessee native from any four-year college ever to be an AVCA All-American.
HENICAN REWRITES DIG RECORDS: During the 2004 season, current senior co-captain L/OH Meg Henican (New Orleans, La./Isidore Newman H.S.) make quite an impact on the Irish digging records. She broke the Notre Dame marks for digs in a season (553) and season dig average (4.94), while combining with current sophomore OPP Adrianna Stasiuk (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine South H.S.) for 884 digs, the most-ever by teammates in a campaign. Henican also set Irish records for digs in any-length match (37 in four games vs. Seton Hall on Oct. 10, 2004) and digs in an NCAA tournament contest (27 vs. Valparaiso in the first round).
DYNAMIC DIGGING COMBO: Senior co-captain L/OH Meg Henican (New Orleans, La./Isidore Newman H.S.) and sophomore OPP Adrianna Stasiuk (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine South H.S.) combined for 884 digs (553 by Henican, 331 by Stasiuk) in 2004, marking the highest single-season sum ever by Notre Dame teammates. The previous mark, bested by just one, was 883 by Jessica Fiebelkorn (474) and Christy Peters (409) in 1992.
HENICAN, BREWSTER TABBED CO-CAPTAINS: Seniors MB Lauren Brewster (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood H.S.) and OH/L Meg Henican (New Orleans, La./Isidore Newman H.S.) will serve as Notre Dame’s co-captains this season. Henican is back for her second season in the role, after serving as the lone captain during the 2004 campaign. She is the 10th multiple-year captain in program history and just the fourth to have been a solo captain in at least one of those seasons.
LOCAL INTEREST: Freshman DS/S Madison Clark (Sturgis H.S.) hails from Sturgis, Mich., which is just across the state line and less than 50 miles east of Notre Dame. She is the most-local player for the Irish volleyball team since South Bend native Dyan Boulac wound up her career in 1993.
TOGETHER AGAIN: Sophomore S Ashley Tarutis (Long Beach, Calif./Los Alamitos H.S.) and freshman OH Mallorie Croal (Villa Park, Calif./Mater Dei H.S.) are teammates once again with the Irish this season. Both played for the Golden West Volleyball Club prior to coming to Notre Dame,helping it to the bronze medal at the 2004 Junior National Olympics.
Miscellaneous Notes …
BIG CROWD ON OPENING DAY: A crowd of 1,574 took in Notre Dame’s three-game, season-opening sweep of Michigan on Saturday. It was the largest crowd for a home opener in program history, besting the prior mark of 1,083 in last year’s lidlifter vs. Loyola Chicago. The attendance was the eighth-highest total in program history for any match, as well as the fourth-largest crowd to take in a contest not staged prior to a football pep rally. After one weekend of action, the Irish ranked fourth in Division I in average attendance, behind Nebraska (10,576 per match), Illinois State (3,259), and Texas A&M (2,242).
HOME, SWEET HOME: Notre Dame’s Joyce Center has become one of the most difficult places in the nation for road teams to win, especially since the arrival of head coach Debbie Brown in 1991. Over the last 14 years, Notre Dame has posted a 168-28 (.857) home record. The Irish have pieced together a variety of impressive winning streaks on their home floor, winning 14 or more in a row on five occasions, highlighted by streaks of 27 (1993-95) and 36 (2000-02) straight home victories. Notre Dame also won 74 in a row in regular-season action against conference opposition from 1991-2004. The Irish, who have topped 14 ranked teams – including four top-10 squads – at home, also hold a 159-9 (.946) record against unranked teams in the Joyce Center, including a 52-match winning streak.
CLASS OF THE CONFERENCE: Notre Dame has experienced unprecedented success in the decade since joining the BIG EAST Conference in 1995. The Irish have compiled a 98-5 (.951) regular-season mark, highlighted by nine titles and winning streaks of 45 and 35 consecutive matches. Notre Dame is 60-1 (.984) in BIG EAST regular-season contests in the Joyce Center, and the Irish have won eight BIG EAST tournament championships, posting a 19-2 mark and reaching the final every year. Notre Dame also has dominated the conference awards, winning player-of-the-year honors six times, the coach-of-the-year award on four occasions, and the league tournament’s most-outstanding-player award seven times. Also, Notre Dame student-athletes have garnered 35 all-conference accolades, including 21 first-team honors, which account for more than one-third of the first-team selections during the span. After being the preseason favorite 10 years in a row, the Irish were picked by the league head coaches to finish second to newcomer Louisville in 2005. Senior MB Lauren Brewster (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood H.S.) was chosen as the BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year, and she was joined on the preseason all-BIG EAST team by senior OH/MB Lauren Kelbley (Bascom, Ohio/Hopewell-Loudon H.S.), a unanimous selection.
IRISH HAVE FOUR MATCHES ON HOME FOOTBALL WEEKENDS: Notre Dame football fans will have four chances to also take in Irish volleyball while they are on campus for home games this season. For the fifth time in six years, there will be a match immediately preceding a football pep rally, as the Oct. 21 contest with South Florida (4 p.m. EST/CDT) will be before the pep rally for the Brigham Young game. Football-weekend visitors will have three other chances to see the Irish, all against BIG EAST competition. The day after the BYU football game (Sunday, Oct. 23) Notre Dame will play host to Georgetown at 2 p.m. (EST/CDT), while the Navy football weekend (Nov. 12) will also see the Irish in action twice: Saturday at 10 a.m. (EDT) vs. Villanova and Sunday at 2 p.m. against Rutgers.
ACADEMIC ACHIEVERS: The Notre Dame women’s volleyball team posted its highest grade-point average on record for an academic year in 2004-05 and was rewarded as a recipient of a Game Plan/American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award. The Irish, who had a team GPA of 3.362, were one of just four Division I squads to earn the Team Academic Award and also win at least one match in the 2004 NCAA Championship (also Kansas State, Ohio, and Wichita State). The AVCA Team Academic Award honors college and high-school teams that display excellence in the classroom by maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative team GPA on a 4.0 scale. Notre Dame was one of 45 Division I programs to be so recognized. The Irish previously copped the honor in 2001-02 and 2002-03.
TV STARS: Notre Dame will be featured on television at least two times during the 2005 season. The Irish beat Texas on Sept. 3 in The Inn at Saint Mary’s Shamrock Invitational in the Joyce Center, which was part of the AVCA’s national match-of-the-week package on College Sports Television (CSTV). Also part of that package will be the BIG EAST Championship title match on Nov. 20 in Louisville (ND has played in that match all 10 seasons since becoming a league member). Additionally, the Irish will play host to Tennessee on Nov. 26 in the Irish Thanksgiving Invitational, and that will be televised by Comcast Sports Net. A year ago, Notre Dame was on TV three times in road matches (CSTV at South Carolina, Comcast at Michigan, BYU TV at Brigham Young). The Irish — who played host to Miami in 2003 in a CSTV match — are one of just 10 schools who have been on the regular-season slate of CSTV’s match-of-the-week series in all three years since it debuted. The others are Colorado State, Florida, Hawai’i, Nebraska, Pepperdine, Santa Clara, Stanford, Texas, and Utah.
KEEPING UP WITH ND VOLLEYBALL: For the fastest results of Notre Dame volleyball matches, call the Notre Dame sports hotline at (574) 631-3000 and choose #5 and #1. The hotline provides schedules and result information for all Irish varsity sports and serves as a supplement to the match recaps and weekly releases provided on the official athletics website at www.und.com. The hotline is the first medium updated with results of each Notre Dame volleyball match. Once again, www.und.com will be the best place for in-depth coverage of Irish volleyball. Live scoring of all home matches, as well as live internet broadcasts of six contests supplement the regular match previews and recaps. In addition, media members and fans may be added to the sports information e-mail release list by contacting assistant sports information director Bo Rottenborn at Rottenborn.2@nd.edu. All requests for story ideas, interview access, match credentials, and further information on Irish volleyball should similarly be directed to Rottenborn. Credential and interview requests should be made at least 24 hours in advance.