Oct. 29, 2003
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The 14th-ranked University of Notre Dame volleyball team (17-2, 7-0) returns home to complete its regular-season slate in the Joyce Center with a four-match homestand, beginning with a pair of contests this week. The Irish will play host to Illinois State (11-12) on Wednesday at 7 p.m. (EST) prior to welcoming Syracuse (16-11, 3-4) for a BIG EAST contest on Sunday at 2 p.m. Notre Dame, on a 10-match winning streak, has won each of the last four meetings with the Redbirds and nine in a row vs. the Orangemen.
LIVE STATS AVAILABLE ON www.und.com: Fans and media unable to attend Notre Dame home matches can follow the action via live statistics on the official Irish athletic website. Live stats can be accessed at http://und.ocsn.com/livestats/w-volley. Be advised, however, that statistics displayed are not official. Also, there is a possibility that live stats will not be working for the Illinois State and Syracuse matches, due to technical difficulties. For other ways to follow the Irish, see “Keeping Up With ND Volleyball” on page 7 of this release.
SNAPSHOT OF THE IRISH: Notre Dame’s women’s volleyball program has experienced a wealth of success since the arrival of head coach Debbie Brown in 1991. In her 12+ seasons, Brown has guided Notre Dame to a winning record every year, compiling a 317-106 (.749) mark. The Irish have earned 11 consecutive berths to the NCAA Championship, including three trips to the round of 16 (1994, ’95, and ’97) and a ’93 quarterfinal finish. Since joining the BIG EAST Conference in ’95, Notre Dame has dominated the league, winning seven regular-season and seven tournament titles in eight years. Overall, the Irish are 94-4 in regular-season BIG EAST play and 16-1 in conference tournament action. Notre Dame is 53-0 in BIG EAST matches in the Joyce Center.
The 2003 Irish team returns 12 monogram winners and six starters from last year’s squad that was 24-8 and earned the No. 16 seed in the NCAA Championship, playing host to first- and second-round play. The Irish also finished second in the nation in blocks per game (3.66) with all the players responsible for that number returning to the fold. This season Notre Dame leads the nation in blocking at 3.71 per game, with the second-best team in Division I, Cornell, at 3.32.
After playing the first 10 matches with a 6-2 rotation, the Irish have returned to their traditional 5-1 offense over the last nine matches. Senior S Kristen Kinder (the ’01 BIG EAST Setter of the Year) orchestrates the Notre Dame attack for the third consecutive season, having helped the Irish to a 63-17 (.788) record as a starter. On the right side, junior OPP/OH Emily Loomis, the ’02 BIG EAST Championship Most Outstanding Player and a preseason all-conference selection, leads the Irish in kills after doing the same a year ago. She already has set two school records this season: most kills in a match without an error (24, 9/9 vs. Valparaiso) and consecutive matches with 10+ kills (21). The middle is patrolled by a pair of sophomores named Lauren having outstanding seasons. MB Lauren Kelbley, the ’02 BIG EAST and AVCA Northeast Region Rookie of the Year, and MB Lauren Brewster, who set the Irish record for blocks assists (161) in a season in ’02, return for the Irish after stepping in immediately as freshman starters. They have combined to win five BIG EAST Player of the Week awards already this season (Kelbley-two, Brewster-three), while Brewster leads the nation in individual blocking (1.83) and is tops on the team in hitting (.366). On the left side, OH Jessica Kinder, twin sister of Kristen, is one of the hardest hitters and also one of the top defensive players on the team. She set a school record for digs in a three-game match (28) on Sept. 9 vs. Valparaiso. A pair of seniors, OPP Katie Neff and OPP/OH Kim Fletcher, also have been strong presences on the front row at times. L/OH Meg Henican is now the starting libero after playing on the left side in the 6-2. DS/L Danielle Herndon, the lone freshman on the Irish, started the season at libero, but now is a back-row sub.
LAST TIME ON THE COURT: Notre Dame hit the road for a three-match east-coast fall-break trip last week, picking up a trio of victories. The Irish beat defending Atlantic Coast Conference champion North Carolina in four games on Tuesday before registering sweeps against Rhode Island and Boston College on Thursday and Friday, respectively.
Sophomore MB Lauren Brewster (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood H.S.) had another huge night against the Tar Heels, posting a career-high 20 kills and 10 blocks in a 30-27, 26-30, 30-21, 30-26 win. She led all players in kills, hitting percentage (.361), and blocks. The nation’s leader in team blocking, Notre Dame had a strong night at the net, delivering 17 blocks in four games. Senior Katie Neff (St. Louis, Mo./Cor Jesu Academy) was in on seven blocks, while senior OH Jessica Kinder (Fresno, Calif./Bullard H.S.) and sophomore MB Lauren Kelbley (Bascom, Ohio/Hopewell-Loudon H.S.) each took part in five. A pair of Irish players had outstanding defensive nights, combining for 43 of the team’s 64 digs – 67 percent. Jessica Kinder led all players with 24, while sophomore L/OH Meg Henican (New Orleans, La./Isidore Newman H.S.) had 19.
Notre Dame beat the Rams 30-20, 30-23, 30-20. Senior S Kristen Kinder (Fresno, Calif./Bullard H.S.) led the Irish offense to a .311 hitting night, spreading the ball around and accumulating 30 assists while also tipping three kills. A quintet of Notre Dame hitters turned in six or more kills each, led by the middle blockers. Kelbley led all players with 10 kills, on .333 hitting, while classmate Brewster added nine kills while posting the top individual hitting percentage of the match, .412. After not playing at all vs. North Carolina, senior OPP/OH Kim Fletcher (St. Louis, Mo./Nerinx Hall H.S.) made her fourth start of the season and first in nearly a month and responded with seven kills and just one error offensively, while scrambling for six digs and taking part in three blocks.
An outstanding blocking performance allowed the Irish to overcome a poor hitting night to win its 10th consecutive contest, 30-26, 30-21, 30-23 against Boston College. Notre Dame challenged a number of school records en route to registering 19 blocks in the match, one shy of the Irish record a three-game match. Brewster led the way with four solos and seven block assists, missing the Notre Dame record for blocks in a three-game match by two and the record for solo blocks in a three-game match by one. Junior OPP/OH Emily Loomis (Fort Wayne, Ind./Bishop Luers H.S.) was in on six blocks, including three of the solo variety. The Irish net play was a big reason Boston College struggled offensively, finishing with a .007 hitting percentage. Notre Dame also had trouble getting going offensively, hitting .165 on the evening, matching its second-worst performance of the season. The Irish were led by Loomis, who had 11 kills on .333 hitting, and Brewster, who had seven on a .353 hitting mark. Loomis also had eight digs, while Henican led the Irish with 10.
IRISH REMAIN 14TH IN NATIONAL RANKINGS: Despite running its winning streak to 10 with a trio of road wins last week, Notre Dame remained 14th in this week’s USA Today/AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25, released Monday. The Irish moved past Santa Clara (12th last week), but were passed by Loyola Marymount (17th last week). The ranking is the highest for Notre Dame since Sept. 30, 1996, when it was 12th. The Irish are ranked 12th by RichKern.com, 13th by Volleyball magazine, and are 17th in the RKPI rankings, which are designed to emulate the NCAA’s RPI rankings.
Three ’03 Irish opponents are listed among the top dozen in this week’s AVCA top 25. Pepperdine (L, 1-3) leads the way at fifth, while Stanford (Nov. 29, away) is sixth, and Northern Iowa (Nov. 11, away) is 12th.
NOTRE DAME WINNING STREAK REACHES 10: The Irish have won 10 consecutive matches, dating back to a 3-1 loss at home to South Carolina in the Shamrock Invitational on Sept. 14. The winning streak is the sixth of 10 or more matches in the history of the program and the first since an 11-match stretch in 2000. The longest winning streak in Irish history is 17, done in 1986. Over this streak, Notre Dame has lost just four games, surrendering one each to Purdue, Villanova, Connecticut, and North Carolina.
In the Debbie Brown era, the Irish have had 29 different winning streaks of five matches or more, winning five in a row seven times, six straight four times, seven in a row three times, eight straight four times, nine in a row six times, 10 straight twice (including this streak), 11 in a row twice, and 12 straight once, in 1994.
Notre Dame is close to a few other school records. The Irish have won eight in a row away from home and six straight on opponents’ home courts, with both just two shy of the school records.
IRISH, BREWSTER LEAD NATION IN BLOCKING: Having posted a number of outstanding blocking matches of late, Notre Dame now holds a healthy lead nationally among Division I teams in blocking, while sophomore MB Lauren Brewster (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood H.S.) took over the national lead in individual blocking this week, moving up from third. The Irish are averaging 3.71 blocks per game this season, with Cornell, the nation’s second-best team, at 3.32. Brewster’s average is 1.83, with Valparaiso’s Liz Mikos second at 1.80. Over the last six matches, the Irish have 93.5 blocks in 20 games, an average of 4.68 per frame. Brewster has had six or more blocks in seven consecutive matches, averaging 2.39 per game over that span (55 blocks, 23 games).
A year ago, Notre Dame finished second nationally in blocking with a school-record average of 3.66, while Brewster was fourth at 1.68.
IRISH OFF TO BEST START SINCE 1994: Notre Dame’s 17-2 record marks the best start for the Irish since 1994, when Notre Dame opened 32-2 before finishing 33-4.
BREWSTER NAMED BIG EAST PLAYER OF THE WEEK FOR THIRD TIME IN FOUR WEEKS: Sophomore MB Lauren Brewster (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood H.S.) was named a BIG EAST Conference Co-Player of the Week on Monday after helping Notre Dame to a trio of road victories over fall break. Brewster, who had 36 kills on .371 hitting to go with 27 blocks in accounting for 55 points, has won the award three times in the last four weeks, missing out on an idle week for the Irish.
The Notre Dame middle blocker had an outstanding week at the net, racking up nine solo blocks and 18 block assists — an average of 2.70 per game — to up her season total to 119 total blocks. Her average of 1.83 is tops in the nation in Division I. Offensively, Brewster hit over .350 in every match, averaging 3.60 kills per game. Against North Carolina, she had a career-high 20 kills on .361 hitting to go along with 10 blocks for her second double-double of the year. In Thursday’s contest at Rhode Island, Brewster hit .412 with nine kills, six blocks, and three digs. The following day against Boston College, she had seven kills and just one error, while adding 11 blocks.
Notre Dame has dominated the BIG EAST player of the week award this season, capturing at least a share of it in six of nine weeks (while having one idle week). Brewster is just the third Irish player ever to be named BIG EAST player of the week three times in a season. She joins Mary Leffers (1999) and Kristy Kreher (2001) in that group. She and St. John’s sophomore Jackie Ahlers are the only two players to win the award three times this season.
IRISH JUST MISS THREE SCHOOL BLOCKING RECORDS vs. B.C.: Notre Dame, the nation’s leader in the category, had one of its best blocking performances of the season Friday against Boston College, challenging a trio of school records. The Irish finished with 19 total blocks, just one shy of the high for a three-game match, set in 1998 at St. John’s. Sophomore MB Lauren Brewster (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood H.S.), who leads the nation in individual blocking, barely missed a pair of individual three-game match records. Her 11 blocks were just two shy of the program-best 13 by Mary Kay Waller in 1988 vs. Miami of Ohio. Brewster’s four solo blocks were one under the record of five, done three times, most recently by Waller in the ’88 Miami match.
LOOMIS BREAKS PAIR OF SCHOOL RECORDS: Junior OPP/OH Emily Loomis (Fort Wayne, Ind./Bishop Luers H.S.) has broken a pair of Irish records this season. In the Sept. 9 Valparaiso match, she set a Notre Dame record for most kills in a match without an error (24), while also falling just shy of the school record for kills in a three-game match. The previous mark for most kills without an error was 23, done by Jaimie Lee on September 8, 1995 at Indiana in a five-game victory.
Loomis also set a new record for consecutive matches with 10 or more kills, with a 21-match streak including the final six contests of 2002 and each of the first 15 this year. It was snapped when she had seven kills against Rutgers on Oct. 12. The longest streak of that kind prior to Loomis’ was a 17-match stretch by Angie Harris from Oct. 5 to Nov. 28 in 1997.
CLASS OF THE CONFERENCE: Since Notre Dame joined the BIG EAST Conference in 1995, the Irish have experienced incredible success in league play. Overall, Notre Dame is 94-4 in conference regular-season matches and 16-1 in the BIG EAST Championship. In eight seasons, the Irish have won seven regular-season titles and seven tournament titles. Notre Dame is 53-0 at home in BIG EAST matches.
This season, the Irish are again atop the conference, in a tie with Pittsburgh (18-3, 7-0). Notre Dame will take on the Panthers in Pittsburgh on Nov. 16 in the final match before the BIG EAST Championship, to be held Nov. 22-23 in the Joyce Center. Miami is in third place in the conference at 17-6 overall and 6-1 in league play.
GOOD START: Notre Dame opened BIG EAST Conference play 7-0 for the eighth time in nine years since joining the league in 1995. The Irish have posted six undefeated conference seasons and also started last year 11-0 in BIG EAST matches. The only year Notre Dame did not win at least its first 11 league matches was 1998, when the Irish lost at Connecticut in their third conference match of the year.
HOME, SWEET HOME: Playing in the Joyce Center has been a nightmare for opponents, especially since head coach Debbie Brown took over the Irish program in 1991. In that span, Notre Dame is 154-22 (.875) at home, including a school-record 36-match winning streak from 2000-02. In addition to holding a 53-0 all-time mark at home in BIG EAST matches, the Irish have had incredible success against unranked teams. In the Brown era, Notre Dame is 147-5 (.967) against unranked foes in the Joyce Center, with the losses coming to Santa Clara in 1993, Ball State in ’96, Oral Roberts in ’98, Michigan State in the ’02 NCAA tournament, and South Carolina in ’03. Each of the first three defeats came in five games. The loss to MSU snapped the 36-match overall home streak and a 52-match home winning streak against unranked teams.
BIG EAST PLAYER OF THE WEEK DOMINANCE: Notre Dame has dominated the BIG EAST Player of the Week award this season, gaining at least a share of it six times in nine weeks. Junior OPP/OH Emily Loomis (Fort Wayne, Ind./Bishop Luers H.S.) won the initial honor of the season, on Sept. 1. Sophomore MB Lauren Kelbley (Bascom, Ohio/Hopewell-Loudon H.S.) was named a BIG EAST Co-Player of the Week Sept. 8 after her tournament-MVP performance in the Longhorn Classic and won the honor again on Sept. 29. Sophomore MB Lauren Brewster (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood H.S.) has been named a BIG EAST Conference Co-Player of the Week each of the last three weeks the Irish have been in action, gaining the distinction on Oct. 6, Oct. 13, and Oct. 27.
IRISH AGAIN UP TO CHALLENGE OF BACK-TO-BACK ROAD MATCHES: Notre Dame traveled to Kingston, R.I. for a three-game victory last Thursday against Rhode Island prior to heading to Chestnut Hill, Mass. the following day to beat Boston College 3-0. It continued a pattern of success in road games on consecutive days in different cities. The Irish have gone 2-0 now 10 times in the last 11 such situations. The only exception was a 2001 trip when they won in five games at Kentucky before losing in four the following day at Saint Louis.
Jessica Kinder DIGS HER WAY TO SCHOOL RECORD: On Sept. 9 vs. Valparaiso, Notre Dame senior co-captain OH Jessica Kinder (Fresno, Calif./Bullard H.S.) set a Notre Dame record with 28 digs, the most ever by an Irish player in a three-game match. Her performance, which featured 10 digs in the first game, three in the second, and 15 in the final frame, bettered the previous record by three. Tracey Shelton scrambled for 25 digs in a three-game win over Butler on Oct. 25, 1989. Kinder’s 28 were the most in any length match for an Irish player since October 25, 1993, when Christy Peters had 31 at Arizona State in a four-game contest.
IRISH AMONG THE BIG EAST LEADERS: A number of Irish players are among the BIG EAST Conference weekly statistical leaders. Sophomore MB Lauren Brewster (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood H.S.) leads the league, and the nation, in blocks (1.83) and is second in hitting percentage (.366) and third in points (4.89), while sophomore MB Lauren Kelbley (Bascom, Ohio/Hopewell-Loudon H.S.) is among the top six in two categories: blocks (3rd, 1.25) and hitting percentage (6th, .332). Senior S Kristen Kinder (Fresno, Calif./Bullard H.S.) is eighth in assists (9.34), while senior OPP Katie Neff (St. Louis, Mo./Cor Jesu Academy) is eighth in blocks (1.09), and senior OH Jessica Kinder (Fresno, Calif./Bullard H.S.) and sophomore OH Meg Henican (New Orleans, La./Isidore Newman H.S.) are tied for 10th in digs (3.41).
In the team statistics, Notre Dame leads the conference, and the nation, in blocks (3.71) and is tops in the league in opponent hitting percentage (.149). The Irish are in the top five in three other categories: hitting percentage (3rd, .256), assists (5th, 13.71), and kills (4th, 15.51).
Notre Dame is dominating in the leaders counting only conference matches. The Irish are first in four of the seven categories and second, third, and fifth in the others. Notre Dame leads the BIG EAST in hitting percentage (.302), opponent hitting percentage (.107), blocks (4.67), and aces (1.65). The Irish are second in kills (16.43), third in assists (14.78), and fifth in digs (15.91).
In the individual leaders in conference matches, Brewster is first in blocks (2.23) and hitting percentage (.451), third in points (5.61), and sixth in aces (0.32). Kristen Kinder is second in assists (12.48) and seventh in aces (0.30), while Kelbley is third in both hitting percentage (.364) and blocks (1.39), Junior OPP/OH Emily Loomis (Fort Wayne, Ind./Bishop Luers H.S.) is fifth in blocks (1.26) and ninth in points (4.70), while Henican is seventh in digs (3.87).
PRESEASON BIG EAST FAVORITES: Once again Notre Dame is the favorite in the BIG EAST Conference. The Irish, who have captured seven regular-season and seven tournament crowns in their eight years in the league, garnered nine first-place votes and were chosen as the favorite in the preseason volleyball poll of conference head coaches. Miami gained four first-place votes and was picked second with 136 points. The teams will meet in the Joyce Center on Nov. 9 in a match televised by College Sports Television (CSTV) in its Sunday Night Spike national match-of-the-week package.
Two Irish players, junior OPP/OH Emily Loomis (Fort Wayne, Ind./Bishop Luers H.S.) and sophomore middle blocker Lauren Kelbley (Bascom, Ohio/Hopewell-Loudon H.S.), were selected to the preseason all-BIG EAST team. Loomis was the Most Outstanding Player in the ’02 BIG EAST Championship, while Kelbley was the conference rookie of the year.
IT’S GETTING COLD IN HERE: Notre Dame’s opponents have struggled offensively this season, hitting just .149. In fact, Irish foes have hit the .190 mark or higher just four times in 19 contests. On six occasions, including in three of the last four matches, Notre Dame opponents have hit below .100. Boston College hit .007 on Friday against the Irish (40 kills, 30 errors, 147 attempts).
IT IS BETTER TO RECEIVE: Notre Dame is giving up just 0.94 aces per game this season. The Irish are on pace to set a school record for fewest aces surrendered per game. The best mark in school history is 1.11, which was done in 1996.
IRISH vs. REDBIRDS: Illinois State comes to the Joyce Center with an 11-12 (4-7 MVC) record. The Redbirds were on a six-match winning streak prior to dropping a pair of matches last weekend against Wichita State and Southwest Missouri State. They have had a penchant for tight contests, with nine of their 23 matches decided in five games (ISU won five). Illinois State and Notre Dame have no common opponents yet, but the Redbirds lost in four games to Missouri Valley Conference rival Northern Iowa in September. The Irish and Panthers will play on Nov. 11 in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
Illinois State was 14-15 (11-7 MVC) in 2002, tying for fourth in the MVC. The Redbirds returned five starters from that squad. Sophomore MB Emily Kabbes leads ISU in points (407), kills (312/3.32), hitting percentage (.322), service aces (39/0.41), and blocks (99/1.05). She is aided by classmate OH Laura Doornbos, who was the team leader in kills before recently missing four matches due to injury. She averages 4.01 kills per game. Junior S Kelly Rikli has helped the offense to a .229 attack percentage, while averaging 11.68 assists and 2.44 digs (234). On defense, junior DS Paige White is the squad leader, with 258 digs (2.66), while sophomore OH Ashley Grubb has 234 (2.44). Freshman OH Savannah Knowles is the only player in the MVC averaging over 2.5 kills and 1.5 digs.
Head coach Sharon Dingman is in her fourth year at Illinois State with a 61-50 (.550) record. She is in her 13th season overall with a 250-164 (.604) record, formerly coaching for one year at Auburn and eight at Butler.
Notre Dame and Illinois State will meet for the eighth year in a row and 16th time overall, all since 1984. The Irish have won nine of the previous meetings, including four in a row. Notre Dame is 5-2 against the Redbirds in the Joyce Center, including four straight wins. The ISU road victories came in 1985 and ’91, while the last Redbird win of any kind was a four-game affair in 1998. Only one of the last 12 meetings between the teams has been decided in three games, while seven have been 3-2 decisions, including a streak of six consecutive five-game matches from 1989-97.
On Oct. 29, 2002, the Irish and Redbirds met in Normal, Ill. Notre Dame got big hitting nights from its middle blockers to rally from a game-one loss for an 18-30, 30-19, 30-22, 30-28 victory. MB Lauren Kelbley (Bascom, Ohio/Hopewell-Loudon H.S.) led the Irish with 15 kills on .462 hitting to go along with five blocks, while MB Lauren Brewster (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood H.S.), had 13 kills on a .476 attack percentage. OH Jessica Kinder (Fresno, Calif./Bullard H.S.) had a strong all-around match, with 12 kills on .333 hitting, as well as 16 digs and three service aces. Keara Coughlin led all players with 18 digs. Illinois State had a trio of hitters with 13 or more kills. Erin Jones led all attackers with 16 kills, while Laura Doornbos had 14 on .387 hitting and Staci Boyce added 13. Jones also had 10 digs, while Kelly Rikli and Paige White had 13 each.
IRISH vs. ORANGEWOMEN: Syracuse is 16-11 (3-4 BIG EAST) this season and does not play this week before heading to the Joyce Center. The Orangewomen have had a season of streaks, starting 7-1 before a five-match losing streak followed by a six-match winning streak. Of late, Syracuse has lost five of its last eight. Five of the Orangewomen losses, including each of the last four, were in five-game decisions. In BIG EAST Conference play, Syracuse has homes wins against Georgetown, Villanova, and Seton Hall, but has lost to Connecticut, St. John’s, Rutgers, and Boston College. The losses to the Red Storm, Scarlet Knights, and Eagles were all 3-2. Notre Dame and Syracuse have played the same seven league opponents and also have both taken on Rhode Island. The Irish are 8-0 against those teams, while the Orangewomen are 4-4.
In 2002, Syracuse was 19-12 (5-8 BIG EAST) and tied for 10th in the BIG EAST Conference. The ‘Cuse returned five starters from that squad. A pair of outside hitters, sophomore Kristen Conway (331 kills/3.68) and junior Morgan Jones (276/3.33), are the top offensive threats for the Orangewomen. Sophomore S Aila Dommestrup has set the Syracuse offense to a .216 hitting percentage, while averaging 9.26 assists (ninth in BIG EAST). Another sophomore, MB Katie Allen, is fourth in the conference in blocking (84/1.22), while her classmate, MB Kelly Duan, is eighth in aces (36/0.40). Senior L Christen Casey is ninth in the BIG EAST in digs (341/3.44).
Head coach Jing Pu is in his ninth year at Syracuse, with a 182-112 (.619) record. He is in his 14th season overall, with a 321-164 (.662) mark.
Notre Dame and Syracuse will meet for the 11th time, with all but two meetings coming since the Irish joined the BIG EAST in 1995. After the Orangewomen took the initial matchup in four games at home in 1981, Notre Dame has won all nine subsequent meetings. In the BIG EAST era, the Irish have won 24 of 26 games between the teams. Notre Dame has won all four previous meetings in the Joyce Center.
On Nov. 9, 2002, the Irish and Orangewomen met in Syracuse, N.Y. with Notre Dame prevailing 30-26, 30-21, 30-26. S Kristen Kinder (Fresno, Calif./Bullard H.S.) set her offense to a .333 hitting percentage, while the defense registered 16 blocks in just three games. MB Lauren Kelbley (Bascom, Ohio/Hopewell-Loudon H.S.) had 10 kills and just one error on 14 swings for a .643 attack percentage, while OPP Katie Neff led the Irish with 13 kills on .345 hitting. MB Lauren Brewster (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood H.S.), who also had nine kills on .333 hitting, was in on six blocks, while Kelbley took part in five. Syracuse had a pair of players with a match-high 15 kills. Morgan Jones did it on .423 hitting, while Kristen Conway also added a team-high six digs to her total.
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 varsity sports and serves as a supplement to the match recaps and weekly releases provided on the official athletic 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 eight contests available to College Sports Pass subscribers supplement the regular match previews and recaps. Remaining live broadcasts include the matches against Virginia Tech (Nov. 7) and Miami (Nov. 9) and the Irish contests in the BIG EAST Championship (Nov. 22-23).
In addition, media members and fans may be added to the sports information e-mail release list by contacting sports information assistant 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.