Oct. 3, 1999
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The Notre Dame volleyball team completed an unbeaten BIG EAST weekend with a 15-5, 15-6, 15-6 win over visiting Pittsburgh Sunday afternoon at the Joyce Center. The Irish, who defeated conference foe West Virginia on Friday, improved to 8-3 overall and 2-0 in the BIG EAST with the win. The Panthers fell to 6-6 overall and 0-2 in the BIG EAST.
The Irish were led by junior Christi Girton’s 12 kills, while sophomore opposite Kristy Kreher (11 kills) and senior Mary Leffers (10 kills) both were in double digits. Freshman Keara Coughlin tied her career-high with 10 digs, and sophomore Marcie Bomhack also tallied 10 digs and a career-best four aces. Junior Denise Boylan contributed 37 assists and three aces as Notre Dame outhit Pittsburgh .330 to .134.
In game one, the Irish jumped out to a 5-0 lead, before Pittsburgh came back to within one at 5-4. A block by Kreher and Leffers giving the Irish point number six, however, began a six-point Notre Dame run. A kill by Panther Peggy Meinhart recorded what would turnout to be Pittsburgh’s last point of the game at 11-5, as the Irish later won, 15-5.
The second game proved to be much the same as the Irish pulled out to an early lead with Pittsburgh hanging to within three points at 7-4. Two kills by Leffers increased Notre Dame’s lead to 9-4, and the Irish never looked back, winning game two, 15-6.
Pittsburgh took its first lead of the match in game three with the score 5-1, but were unable to hold onto it as the Irish went on a seven-point run to take the lead at 8-5. After the Panthers closed the gap to 8-6, the Irish scored eight unanswered points to win the game and the match, 15-6.
Pittsburgh’s Stacy Renick led her team with 11 kills, while Jennifer Nickels contributed five blocks in the loss.
The Irish play host to 18th-ranked Michigan in a non-conference match on Tuesday, Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. at the Joyce Center.