Oct. 29, 2000
The University of Notre Dame volleyball team (18-5, 8-0 in the BIG EAST) won its second match in as many days, outlasting Connecticut in five games (15-11, 11-15, 15-5, 13-15, 16-14) Sunday, afternoon. The Irish swept a three game match at St. John’s the day before (Oct. 28). Christi Girton (Muncie, Ind.) posted a career-high 31 kills in the match against the Huskies to lead a Notre Dame offense that yielded four players with double-digit kills.
Girton had combined with fellow outsider hitter Marcie Bomhack (Waukesha, Wis.) for 33 kills against St. John’s and the Irish duo put forth another solid effort against UConn. Bomhack logged her fourth double-double of the season with 19 kills and 13 digs (plus five blocks) against the Huskies. All told, the Irish starting outside hitters accounted for 83 kills (10.4 per game) in Notre Dame’s two weekend BIG EAST matches.
Junior opposite Kristy Kreher (Birmingham, Mich.) continued the solid play she has displayed the entire season, posting 21 kills and nine digs against Connecticut.
The fourth member of the Irish offense with double-digit kills was junior middle blocker Malinda Goralski (Missouri City, Texas) with 13 kills.
Senior setter Denise Boylan (Lisle, Ill.) played a big part in the Irish offense and defensive effort. Boylan notched 69 assists in the match, helping the Irish hit .257 as a team. The Irish co-captain also had nine digs, three blocks and eight kills.
Boylan wasn’t alone in the defensive effort, sophomore defensive specialist Janie Alderete (Santa Clara, Calif.) had a career-high 18 digs in the match.
Notre Dame returns home next weekend to face BIG EAST foes Boston College (Nov. 3) and Providence (Nov. 5). Sandwiched between the two conference matches will be a non-conference contest with North Carolina on Saturday, Nov. 4.