No. 19 Notre Dame hits .037 in 4-game loss to No. 16 Northern Iowa. Goralski leads Irish with 11 kills, 8 blocks
By NOAH AMSTADTER
Sports Editor
Facing a ranked opponent for the fourth time this season, the No. 19 Notre Dame volleyball team fell to No. 16 Northern Iowa in four games Tuesday night (30-26, 14-30, 16-30, 23-30). The game was played in front of 1,182 fans at Bettendorf High School in the Quad Cities.
The loss drops Notre Dame's season record to 12-4 overall, 0-4 against ranked opponents including Notre Dame's three losses to Nebraska, UCLA and Pepperdine in early September.
The match was a defensive battle, with neither team posting a hitting percentage higher than .233 in any game. The Panthers hit .208 for the match to Notre Dame's .037 mark. Notre Dame was also done in by hitting errors, committing 35 in the four games, including nine each by Kristy Kreher and Kim Fletcher, usually two of Notre Dame's main offensive weapons.
Notre Dame also committed 10 service errors while serving eight aces.
The one positive for the Irish was the play of senior Malinda Goralski. Goralski totaled 11 kills for the Irish to only two hitting errors in 21 attempts for a .429 percentage. She also assisted on eight blocks. Sophomore setter Kristen Kinder added five kills and 30 assists.
Notre Dame started off strong in the match's first game, winning 30-26 while holding Northern Iowa to .135 hitting. But as the match went on, the home state team regrouped, while the Irish self-destructed.
In game two, the Irish totaled only six kills while committing 12 hitting errors for a -.194 percentage while scoring only 14 points. The woes continued in the third game, as the Irish fell 30-16. At match's end, Notre Dame returned to positive hitting, pulling within seven by the end of the fourth game.
But the nation's No. 16 team was too much for the Irish. Kim McCaffrey led the Panthers with 18 kills while Kim Kester added 16 kills.
The Irish next take the court Oct. 23 when they take on Kentucky in Lexington.
All Sports Stories for Wednesday, October 17, 2001
