Irish face midterm examination in Iowa
By NOAH AMSTADTER
Sports Editor
While their fellow students prepare for midterm examinations in the classroom, the Notre Dame volleyball team boarded a bus headed for Iowa Monday night for their own midseason exam.
The No. 19 Irish travel to Bettendorf, Iowa to take on No. 16 Northern Iowa on the neutral court of Bettendorf High School in the Quad Cities.
The game marks the first match against a ranked opponent for Notre Dame (12-3) since being swept in all three matches against No. 1 Nebraska, No. 7 UCLA and No. 15 Pepperdine in early September.
Since that weekend, Notre Dame has won nine consecutive matches, with all but one against less-talented Big East opponents.
Head coach Debbie Brown thinks that her team has developed since September and tonight's game should prove that.
"I think we're a much stronger team, I think we've executed things better," Brown said. "I guess now's the time to be tested to see if that's really has paid off. I'm going into it believing that it has. Until you've been really pushed you don't really know that."
A key to the Irish success this season has been a balanced offense in which seniors Malinda Goralski and Kristy Kreher have dominated at times, while sophomore Kim Fletcher has been coming on as of late.
Kreher earned her second Big East Player of the Week award Monday after averaging four kills, 3.17 digs and 1.33 blocks per game in Notre Dame's two weekend wins over Villanova and Rutgers.
But Northern Iowa has its own trio of offensive stars. As the Panthers have compiled their 18-0 record, three players average more than 3.5 kills. Kim Kester leads the way with a 3.92 advantage while Molly O'Brien posts 3.82 kills per game and Kim McCaffery 3.7.
But of those three, McCaffery is a senior, a factor that Brown thinks can give the Irish the edge.
"We have three seniors [including Marcie Bomhack] that are experienced and have played big in big matches and they have one senior," Brown said. "I have to think that our seniors are going to rise to the occasion."
Brown also stressed that, while both teams have three strong offensive players, the players do not execute from the same positions.
"Ours are two middles and one right side," Brown said. "Theirs are two left sides and one middle. I think there's some things we can do if we serve the ball strategically and put it in the right zones then we give our blocking defense an advantage in making them set the ball where they wouldn't want to."
To support her confidence in her squad, Brown looks at the recent success the Irish have had compiling high hitting percentages, reaching their goals in blocks and scoring points while serving.
But no numbers on a stat sheet can beat the No. 16 team in the country. Only a solid effort from the Irish tonight can do that.
"On paper I think it stacks up really well," Brown said. "It's just a matter of going in the gym and fighting it out."
All Sports Stories for Tuesday, October 16, 2001
