Sept. 17, 2003
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Sophomore MB Lauren Brewster (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood H.S.) posted a double-double, with 13 kills and 13 blocks, in helping the 18th-ranked University of Notre Dame volleyball team (8-2) to a four-game victory (30-23, 30-17, 29-31, 30-20) against Purdue (7-3) Wednesday evening in the Joyce Center. The Irish hit with pinpoint accuracy most of the night, accumulating a .311 attack percentage on the match.
Brewster made just one error, finishing with a team-best .429 hitting percentage. She also matched her career high with three aces for a total of 24 points. Her 13 blocks, of which three were of the solo variety, marked the second time in three matches she posted that total. Prior to this stretch, no Notre Dame player had been in on 13 blocks in a match since Molly Stark had 15 on October 2, 1993 in a four-game win vs. Western Michigan.
Also delivering outstanding offensive performances for the Irish were junior OPP/OH Emily Loomis (Fort Wayne, Ind./Bishop Luers H.S.) and sophomore MB Lauren Kelbley (Bascom, Ohio/Hopewell-Loudon H.S.). Loomis had a team-high 15 kills and no errors on 37 swings for a .405 percentage, while Kelbley registered 14 kills on .414 hitting.
Orchestrating Notre Dame’s offense were senior S Kristen Kinder (Fresno, Calif./Bullard H.S.) and sophomore S Kelly Burrell (Phoenix, Ariz./Xavier Preparatory School). Kinder matched her season high with 35 assists.
The Irish also were superb at the net, notching 19 blocks. Seven different players got into the act, with Loomis registering one solo block and four block assists.
Notre Dame was good defensively again, finishing with 68 kills. Sophomore OH Meg Henican (New Orleans, La./Isidore Newman H.S.) led the way with 15, while both Jessica and Kristen Kinder had 13.
After the teams split the first 20 points of the match, Notre Dame went on a mini run to take a four-point lead, 16-11, and never surrendered the advantage en route to a seven-point victory. The Irish came out hitting very well, with 18 kills and just two attack errors for a .364 attack percentage. Brewster and Loomis led the way, with each posting identical lines — eight kills, no errors, and 14 attempts, for a .571 percentage.
The Irish were even hotter in game two, posting a .455 hitting mark, with 16 kills and just one error on 33 attempts. Notre Dame got going early, sprinting to a 9-3 lead, and never looking back.
Notre Dame hit just .160 in the third game, but still was on the verge of a straight-game victory. Leading 29-27, the Irish had a pair of match points, but Purdue got three consecutive kills and then won the game with a block.
Notre Dame finished its win in four games. After the teams were tied 11-11, the Irish pulled away for a 10-point victory, hitting .324 on the way.
Up next for Notre Dame is some time off. The Irish will not play until a week from Friday, playing host to Villanova in the BIG EAST opener at 7 p.m. (EST) in the Joyce Center on September 26.