Notre Dame looks to spike Miami of Ohio for victory
By MATT OLIVA
The Notre Dame women's volleyball team will host Miami of Ohio tomorrow at 7 p.m. in the Joyce Center.
The Irish enter the game with a 4-2 record, coming off a disappointing second-place finish at the Big Orange Bash in Clemson, S.C., and will face the Redhawks for the first time since 1991.
Miami (5-3) returns three starters from their 1998 team that advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament. The Irish and the Redhawks have both lost to top-ranked Pacific in three games.
"They are a strong team," said Irish captain Denise Boylan. "It will be a good competition for us before heading into the Big East."
Leading the Redhawks is last year's Mid-American Player of the Year Alissia Thompson. Thompson averages four kills and 2.5 digs per game, while outside hitter Mindy Collins is adding more than four kills per game. Andrea Stone has averaged more than one block per game for Miami this year.
The Irish are led by senior middle blocker and co-captain Mary Leffers, who leads the Irish in kills per game (3.44), hitting percentage (.371) and blocks per game (1.78). Boylan is leading the team in assists with 12.06 per game.
Emily Schiebout and Jo Jameyson both have played well defensively for the Irish, averaging 3.5 and 2.6 digs per game, respectively.
Miami and Notre Dame have faced each other five times, with the Redhawks holding a 3-2 series lead. Notre Dame's two wins came in 1988 and 1991.
The Miami match is important for the Irish to get back on track. After starting off the year with impressive matches in the Shamrock Classic and against Louisville, the Irish went 1-1 last weekend and were not satisfied with their performance.
"This is a big match for us," said Boylan. "We have a good non-conference schedule and need to get back on track before going into conference."
The Irish have only three more non-conference matches before their Big East home opener Oct. 1 against West Virginia.
All Sports Stories for Friday, September 17, 1999
