Sept. 14, 2017
By Robby Hamman
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — Notre Dame welcomes No. 23 Michigan State, Southern Illinois and Central Michigan to campus this weekend for the final tuneup before conference play commences on Sept. 22. The Irish are coming off their biggest win of the season, defeating No. 24 Ohio State 3-1 on Sept. 10 inside Purcell Pavilion.
Notre Dame opens the Shamrock Invitational by hosting No. 23 Michigan State at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 15, marking three consecutive matches against a ranked opponent from the Big Ten. The Irish then wrap up the tournament on Saturday, Sept. 16 by facing Southern Illinois at 12:30 p.m. and Central Michigan at 7 p.m.
2017 GOLDEN DOME INVITATIONAL
Location: Notre Dame, Indiana – Purcell Pavilion
How To Watch: ACC Network Extra (Michigan State) | ACC Network Extra (Southern Illinois) | ACC Network Extra (Central Michigan)
Tournament Central: Click Here
Twitter Updates: @NDVolleyball
NOTRE DAME VOLLEYBALL: BY THE NUMBERS
.123 – Notre Dame is holding the opposition to a hitting percentage of .123, ranking first in the ACC and sixth in the country. The Irish have held Valparaiso (.037), Rhode Island (.081) and Bowling Green (.076) to percentages under .100 this season.
1 – Ryann DeJarld leads the country in digs per set with an average of 6.82 per set through the first three weeks of the season. The junior has recorded 20+ digs in six of eight matches this season.
2 – Notre Dame ranks second in the country in digs per set with an average of 20.07.
3 – Friday’s meeting with No. 23 Michigan State will mark Notre Dame’s third straight match against a ranked opponent from the Big Ten.
4 – The Irish are unbeaten at home this season, posting a record of 4-0. Notre Dame won its first three home matches at Compton Family Ice Arena and then defeated No. 24 Ohio State in Purcell Pavilion (9/10).
7 – Jemma Yeadon has recorded double-digit kills in all seven matches she has played in during the 2017 season. The junior posted a career-high 20 kills in the win over New Mexico State (8/26). Yeadon has four double-doubles on the season.
8 – The Irish recorded a season-low eight attacking errors over four sets of play in the win over No. 24 Ohio State (9/10).
12 – Notre Dame returns 12 letterwinners to the 2017 squad, including six seniors.
19 – Natalie Johnson has a team-high 19 aces in 2017. The senior ranks fifth in the country in aces per set with an average of 0.68. Johnson posted a career-high six aces in the win over VCU on September 1.
24 – Notre Dame knocked off No. 24 Ohio State by a final score of 3-1 on Sept. 10, marking the program’s first win over a ranked opponent since defeating No. 10 Louisville on Sept. 23, 2012.
369 – Senior Sam Fry has 369 career blocks, setting the Notre Dame record for career blocks and 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.
615 – Jim McLaughlin has 615 victories at the collegiate level (includes men’s and women’s volleyball). McLaughlin is the only coach in NCAA history with a national championship on both the men’s and women’s sides.
— ND —
Robby Hamman joined Fighting Irish Media as athletics communications assistant director in September 2016, coordinating efforts for the volleyball and men’s lacrosse program. Hamman is a 2010 graduate of Bethel College, where he earned bachelor’s degrees in sport management and business administration, and earned his master’s degree in business administration from Defiance College in 2013.