Sept. 21, 2017
By Robby Hamman
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — University of Notre Dame senior volleyball players Sam Fry, Caroline Holt and Natalie Johnson have been selected as captains for the 2017 season. All three student-athletes served as captains of the 2016 team.
Sam Fry
The senior middle blocker has played an integral role in the success of Notre Dame volleyball over her career. Fry leads the Irish in total blocks with 42 on the season, averaging 1.24 blocks per set. Fry also paces Notre Dame in hitting percentage, posting an average of .312 (81-21-192). The senior has set the Notre Dame record for career blocks with 383, passing Jeni Houser ’15 (345) in the record books. The record dates back to 2008 when the NCAA changed the scoring to 25-point sets. Fry is a two-time Second Team All-ACC honoree.
Caroline Holt
The senior setter has been a key factor for the Irish over the past two seasons after transferring to Notre Dame between her sophomore and junior seasons. Holt has dished out 1,210 assists, despite missing the final 10 matches of the 2016 season with an injury. Notre Dame had a record of 18-4 before Holt was sidelined with the injury. The Carbondale, Illinois, native averages 10.90 assists per set. Holt was named a Second Team All-ACC selection in 2016 after her first season with the Irish.
Natalie Johnson
A leadership role is nothing new for Johnson, as the senior has now been selected a captain for the third consecutive season. The defensive specialist has developed into one of the most lethal players in the nation from the service line in 2017, leading the ACC and ranking sixth in the country in aces per set with an average of 0.59. Johnson has unleashed 22 aces this year, just one shy of matching her career high for a season. The senior is closing in on the 1,000 dig mark for her career, as she currently has 954 digs over four seasons at Notre Dame.
