Irish host first 2 rounds of the NCAA Tournament and look to get past the second round for the first time since 1995
By MATT LOZAR
Sports Writer
Since 1995, the Irish have won 150 matches, including an 87-4 regular season conference record. They have also won six Big East regular season titles and six Big East tournament titles.
With all those victories and championships, the Notre Dame volleyball team hasn't been able to do something that seems simple for a team experiencing so much success — win two consecutive games in the NCAA Tournament.
But this year might be different.
After qualifying for their 11th straight NCAA Tournament by winning the Big East Tournament two weeks ago, the Irish were awarded the No. 16 seed in the NCAA Tournament. More importantly, the Irish were named a host for the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
Instead of having to travel to an opponent's unwelcoming gymnasium, the Irish will be able to play in the friendly confines of the Joyce Center where they have won their past 35 matches.
"I think it is a great situation for us, and we are excited to be hosting," Irish coach Debbie Brown said. "I think it is a big advantage psychologically because we feel more comfortable here. Academic pressures are lessened since the team isn't missing classes for a day of travel. We probably sleep better in our own beds."
Notre Dame (23-7) hosts the College of Charleston (29-5) in a first round match at 6 p.m. Saturday. This will be first meeting between the Irish and the Cougars.
Charleston's 22-match winning streak is the second longest active streak in the country. The Cougars qualified for their first NCAA Tournament by winning the Southern Conference. Outside hitter Stephanie Ballard leads the Cougars averaging 3.91 kills per game.
If the Irish win, they will play the winner of the other first round contest between Michigan State and George Mason (22-7) at 4 p.m. on Sunday. Last year, the Spartans (19-11) eliminated the Irish in East Lansing, Mich. in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
With less than 24 hours between matches, Brown and her staff are ready to play either opponent should the Irish beat the Cougars.
"As a staff, we have looked ahead to George Mason and Michigan State. With the team, we are really focusing on Charleston," Brown said. "We have seen tape of both, and we are preparing to play again Sunday. We think Charleston will give us a good match, but we want to be prepared to play on Sunday."
Notre Dame hasn't played since defeating Miami 3-1 to win the Big East Championship on Nov. 24. When the Irish face the Cougars, 12 days will have passed since Notre Dame's last match, but Brown isn't concerned about the long layoff.
"I think it is really good for us, both mentally and physically," she said. "It was good for us to have a couple of days off in between Thanksgiving. We aren't going into the Tournament fatigued."
In August, the Irish set a goal of moving past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. They are ready to take that step at home this weekend.
"It is definitely a big goal. It is something we have talked about since the team got together on the first day of practice," Brown said. "We have to be very careful to take it one step at a time. We are just looking at Charleston on Saturday and are hoping for the opportunity to play Sunday.
"We need to take each day and each match one at a time."
All Sports Stories for Friday, December 6, 2002
