Oct. 17, 1999
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Therese Crawford contributed 22 kills and 12 digs to lead the United States Professional Volleyball (USPV) “Dream Team” past the Notre Dame volleyball team, 15-8, 16-14, 15-11, in an exhibition match Sunday afternoon at the Joyce Center.
The Irish were led by junior Christi Girton’s (Muncie, Ind.) 11 kills, while junior Denise Boylan (Lisle, Ill.) had 29 assists and a team-high two aces. Senior Mary Leffers (Tampa, Fla.) also led the Irish in blocks with nine.
After dropping game one, 15-8, the Irish had three game points at 14-13 in game two, but were unable to convert on them as the Dream Team tied the game at 14 points apiece and then won the game, 16-14. The USPV then won the match with a 15-11 win in game three.
The USPV included two former Notre Dame standouts Molly Stark and Jaimie Lee. Stark, who played for the Irish from 1990-93, tallied 12 kills and four digs, while Lee, who played at Notre Dame from 1994-97, had 30 assists, two aces and five digs in the win.
The match also was a reunion of sorts for Notre Dame head coach Debbie Brown and USPV Dream Team coach Arie Selinger. Selinger, who coached the United States to a silver medal at the 1984 Olympics, also coached Brown on the 1980 U.S. Olympic squad, which never played due to the U.S. boycott.
Notre Dame (10-4 overall, 4-0 in the BIG EAST) will be back in action Tuesday, Oct. 19 at eighth-ranked Brigham Young and again on Wednesday, Oct. 20 at the University of Utah.