Irish stop three-match losing streak,top Valpo in three games
By NOAH AMSTADTER
Sports Editor
After losing three three-game matches 10 days ago at the U.S Bank/Arby's Invitational in Lincoln, Neb., the No. 23-ranked Notre Dame women's volleyball team sat down and set some goals.
Head coach Debbie Brown stressed scoring while serving, hitting for a high percentage and accumulating blocks as the team's main goals.
Tuesday night in the Joyce Center the Irish (4-3) saw their game plan work to perfection as they dispatched the Crusaders of Valparaiso in three games (30-22, 30-12, 30-17).
"I think this team did a good job of staying focused and playing at a level that we should be playing," Brown said.
Senior Malinda Goralski, the Big East Co-Player of the Week earlier this season, carried the Irish to victory in the first game. Goralski totaled eight kills in 11 attempts in game one, while adding three blocks as the Irish took a back-and-forth game. Goralski finished with 15 kills in 21 swings for a .714 percentage in the match.
"That's a really good match for her," Brown said of Goralski. "Seventy-one percent is unbelievable. I have to give a lot of credit to our passers because if we don't pass well, we can't get her the ball."
Brown's goal was to score at least 18 points per game while serving. In game one, the Irish scored only 12 in this manner, scoring more on defense and giving the Crusaders multiple opportunities to close the gap. In games two and three, Notre Dame solved that problem, scoring 20 points while serving in game two and 18 in game three.
"We started off a little tense, not playing to the top of our game, and then we realized that this is a team we should absolutely dominate," Goralski said. "I think we came out and really played like a team the last two games."
Notre Dame was able to put together scoring streaks in games two and three that they couldn't in the night's first game. With sophomore Christa Moen serving, Notre Dame scored five consecutive points late in game two and four in a row early in game three.
The team came together without one of their senior leaders on the court.
Kristy Kreher, the preseason Big East Player of the Year, totaled one kill to three hitting errors on five attempts in game one and didn't see the court in the final two games.
"She just didn't play very well the first game," Brown said. "That's not characteristic of her and certainly not what we expect."
In Kreher's place, 6-foot-4 sophomore Katie Neff played the final two games at opposite. Neff, who played well at Valparaiso as a freshman last season, added three kills on nine attempts with no errors.
"Katie Neff came in games two and three and played very well," Brown said.
Also seeing significant playing time were freshmen Leah Nedderman and Kelly Corbett. Outside hitter Nedderman played in the final two games, spiking for her first career kill in game three. Corbett, a middle blocker, added her first career kill in the same game.
"I think that especially before we get into Big East I want them to feel comfortable on the court," Brown said. "The more we can get them on the court, the more comfortable they're going to feel."
Brown thought her team played well in all aspects, but especially on defense.
Notre Dame totaled 53 digs to Valparaiso's 38 and also finished with seven blocks.
"It's a combination of good serving, good blocking and good defense," Brown said. "I thought our defense was good tonight. We really scrambled a lot, that was good."
All Sports Stories for Wednesday, September 19, 2001
