Aug. 25, 2004
A squad that returns three players who gained honorable mention All-America honors from the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) in 2003, the Notre Dame volleyball team aims to use a combination of veterans and a talented group of newcomers to continue the tradition of excellence it has established over the past decade and a half. The Irish are currently riding streaks of 13 consecutive winning seasons (12 of them featuring 20+ victories) and 12 NCAA tournament appearances in a row, while they have claimed a dozen conference championships in the last 13 campaigns. Last year’s squad upheld that tradition, upsetting #10 Arizona in the season opener en route to a 21-2 start, highlighted by a 14-match winning streak that rocketed Notre Dame to 12th in the AVCA national rankings. Late-season struggles saw the Irish finish 23-7 and 24th in the rankings, though they claimed a share of the BIG EAST Conference regular-season championship, advanced to the final of the league’s tournament for the ninth straight season, and gained another NCAA Championship bid. Notre Dame also finished as the top blocking team in Division I with an average of 3.72 per game. The departure of the class of 2004 leaves some holes for this year’s squad to fill, as that quartet combined to start 219 matches, including more than 30 by each player. “This was just an awesome class,” Irish head coach Debbie Brown says of the departed players. “It was a great group of people that gave a tremendous amount to the program. I think the thing that rubbed off the most on their teammates was their work ethic and their love for the game. They were all awesome team players. It was all about the team and what they could do to make the team the best it could be.” Despite those losses, Notre Dame returns a core of front-row players among the best in school history. Senior Emily Loomis and juniors Lauren Brewster and Lauren Kelbley all earned honorable mention All-America accolades in 2003, combining to be the first Irish trio ever to register 350+ kills apiece in the same season. They combine to make Notre Dame one of just a pair of Division I teams (along with two-time defending NCAA champion USC) to return three student-athletes who gained All-America mention from the AVCA last season. “In addition to versatility, they bring us a level of play that is high above the net,” Brown says of her trio of accomplished attackers. “They each have the ability to dominate at the net, both in attacking and blocking.” Loomis, who could see time at any position in the front row, has started 87 of the 91 matches during her first three collegiate seasons, playing mostly at opposite to lead the Irish in kills for two straight years. A season ago, she became the 14th player in school history to register 1,000 career kills, ending the campaign with 1,008. She has been an AVCA all-Northeast Region selection in each of the last two seasons, while also winning a pair of all-BIG EAST accolades (first team in 2002, second team in 2003). As a junior, she set school records for consecutive matches with 10+ kills (21) and most kills in a match without an error (24 vs. Valparaiso).
Emily Loomis has the ability to play all three front row positions for Notre Dame in 2004.
|
 |
“She has been a key player her first three years, and we don’t anticipate that will be any different in 2004,” Brown says of Loomis. “She is an enormously gifted athlete. Her physical skills are phenomenal. In particular, I look to see her absolutely dominating at the net. She had some beautiful blocks throughout last year, and I think she will do that again.” Tabbed the Most Outstanding Player of the 2002 BIG EAST Championship, Loomis holds the distinction of being the only Notre Dame athlete ever to earn all-BIG EAST honors in two distinctly different sports. In addition to her volleyball success, she is a four-time all-league performer in the high jump for the Irish track and field team, having captured the 2003 outdoor conference championship. Brewster and Kelbley stepped in immediately as starters in the middle in 2002 and have experienced incredible success through the first half of their careers. The latter, who was tabbed Rookie of the Year in both the AVCA’s Northeast Region and the BIG EAST Conference in ’02, stands as one of only three juniors in Division I to have gained all-region accolades in both of her first two seasons. Kelbley, who played on the outside for the final two matches of ’03 and could see time either there or at middle blocker this season, was a second-team all-league selection in her first season before moving up to the first team as a sophomore. Her career hitting percentage of .325 is the second-best in Irish history, while her 1.17 block average is fifth. “Kelbley had an awesome spring,” Brown says. “She is stronger and is jumping a little higher and has become a much smarter player. She has found a comfort in the left, middle, and right. We can put her in any of those positions, and she can hit and block really well in any of them.” After a solid rookie campaign, Brewster developed into one of the top middles in the nation in ’03, finishing as the top individual blocker in Division I with an average of 1.78 per game. She was an all-region and first-team all-BIG EAST honoree after being honorable mention all-conference in 2002, when she finished fourth nationally in blocking. Brewster already has five BIG EAST statistical crowns to her credit, more than any other player in Irish history. She has been tops in the conference in blocking in both overall and league play in each of the last two campaigns, while she also was first in hitting percentage in BIG EAST play (.403) as a sophomore. Brewster’s career block average of 1.72 is the best in school history, while her .324 hitting mark is third highest. As a rookie, she broke the Irish record for block assists, while setting freshman records for both total blocks and block average. “Obviously, as the leading blocker in the country last year, we will again depend on her to be a really strong blocker for us,” Brown says of Brewster. “Late last season and in the spring, we really worked a lot with her on hitting different sets, like high balls outside and different quick sets. Also, her back-row attacking has come a long way, so we could use her a little more in that area.” “Any time they are in the front row, they are going to draw a lot of attention from our opponents,” Brown says of her three veteran hitters. “That makes us hard to defend, and I think it will open things up for our other attackers, who are also very good.” Among the most notable of those other attackers is junior outside hitter Meg Henican, who will serve as Notre Dame’s team captain this season. She is just the second junior in Irish history to serve as her team’s only captain.
Meg Henican has established herself as a vocal leader, both on and off the court, for the Irish.
|
|
“I think she is the undisputed captain of the team,” Brown says. “When you talk to our players and ask, `Who best leads the team?’ Meg’s name always comes up. She leads a lot by example. She is not overly vocal on the court, but she says things that need to be said. Plus, she is not afraid to be tough on her teammates, if that is what it takes. She is very consistent in the way she comes to practice and the way she comes to matches and the way she competes.” In 2003, Henican began the year on the outside, but she made the switch to libero 10 matches into the campaign due to her outstanding defensive skills. She responded by becoming just the third player in Notre Dame history to record 400+ digs in a single season. Henican is expected to return to the front row in 2004 after making significant offensive strides during spring practice. “Meg was our most improved player in the spring,” Brown says. “She worked so hard on developing her shots to become a really good outside attacker. We already knew that she was a great passer and defensive player. We expect big things out of her this year. She is probably our best all-around player, and she’ll be relied on to do everything well.” Junior Carolyn Cooper, who developed into a semi-regular sub for the Irish last season, also is expected to challenge for playing time, either in the middle or on the right side. Senior outside hitter Leah Nedderman will miss the entire season with a stress fracture of her right foot after the same injury precluded her from playing at all in 2003. Four talented front-row newcomers also figure to push for immediate playing time. Sophomore Julie McElroy, formerly a standout for Ames (Iowa) High School and Cyclone Cylect, became a member of the Irish last spring to give them more depth on the front row. Three freshmen – Laura Bresnahan, Ellen Heintzman, and Adrianna Stasiuk – also are expected to be in the mix in the front row. Stasiuk, a Volleyball magazine “Fab 50” selection and four-time All-American for perennial club powerhouse Sports Performance, is an outstanding all-around player whose passing skills are among the best a rookie has ever brought to the Irish program. She also became Maine South High School’s first-ever all-state volleyball player in helping the Hawks to the state tournament for the first time in 23 years. Heintzman was five times honored as an All-American for the Kentucky Indiana Volleyball Academy (KIVA). She was twice an all-state selection in helping Sacred Heart Academy to its first-ever state championship and a national ranking as high as #2 by PrepVolleyball.com. The site also ranked Heintzman the top prep player from Kentucky – and 54th overall – in its Senior Aces rankings. Chicago-area native Bresnahan was a standout for York Community High School and the Lions Elite club team. She set York’s school record with 1,154 kills, which ranks 15th in Illinois state history. Bresnahan was named honorable mention all-state in her final season, and she figures to make a push either in the middle or on the right side. “I am excited about this class of freshmen, and I anticipate their adding a variety of things to our program,” Brown says. “I think [setter] Ashley [Tarutis] and Laura, in particular, bring a really high level of energy. They love playing, and they communicate constantly on the court. They make people around them better because they are always talking. Adrianna and Ellen are similar in what they bring: good, solid attacking; good ball-control skills; good passing; and good defense. Plus they are both really competitive. They aren’t as vocal on the court, but they bring a high level of intensity and come from club programs that have been very successful.” Brown sees one of the strengths of this year’s team to be its tremendous versatility: “I anticipate our front-line players will be a real strength for us this season. A large part of that is the versatility they possess. We do not have very many players who are one-dimensional – meaning they can play only one position or hit only a certain type of set. We have players that can hit high balls, hit quick sets, hit behind the setter, and do a variety of different things. That will make it a lot harder for other teams to defend us.” Following the departure of setter Kristen Kinder, junior Kelly Burrell will look to become a major factor in Notre Dame’s offense this season. She gained some experience over the last two campaigns, including garnering regular playing time much of last season, including while the Irish used a 6-2 offense in the first 10 matches.
Head coach Debbie Brown knows that replacing a three-year starter at setter will be a challenge for the Irish in 2004.
|
|
Also challenging for the setting duties will be freshman Ashley Tarutis, who twice earned first-team All-America honors in club action for Golden West and also captained Los Alamitos High School to its first-ever California state championship. A fiery setter with good leadership skills on the floor, her challenge will be to adjust to the college game. “Probably our biggest hole to fill is at setter,” Brown says. “But I think Kelly got tremendous experience last year. I thought she did a really good job in the spring in running the team as the setter. Ashley has had a lot of success in the past, and I am looking for her to make the transition to the faster-paced college game. I think the two of them will have a great competition at the setting spot.” Senior Kelly Corbett and sophomore Danielle Herndon figure to compete for time at either libero or defensive specialist in 2004. Corbett, who came to Notre Dame as a middle blocker, has made a successful transition to the back row. Herndon was the lone reserve to appear in every match last season, starting the year as Notre Dame’s libero before being a defensive specialist throughout the final two-thirds of the year. Brown expects the result of this mix of personnel to be a team that is improved in a few areas: “I think offensively we will be stronger, and I anticipate us being able to block just as well or better than we did last year. I also think our ball control on defense will be very good. Hopefully that translates into more points and more wins.” Wins will be at a premium in ’04, as the Irish slate includes 12 teams that earned bids to last year’s NCAA tournament and also three squads – Nebraska, USC, and Long Beach State – that have combined to win six of the last 11 national championships. Additionally, three first-time opponents – Fresno State, Sacramento State, and UC Irvine – dot the Irish schedule. “Every year we try to put together a schedule that has good balance,” Brown says. “We play some good teams early and some good teams late, and we have a good conference schedule in the middle. We have tried to make it as strong as we possibly can. Every time we can play teams that are usually in the top 10, we love to do that. Plus we like to play different teams, so the fact we are playing a few new teams is good.”