Sept. 24, 2011
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Junior Hilary Eppink posted a team-high 10 kills on a .556 clip as the Notre Dame volleyball team swept Georgetown, 3-0 (25-11, 25-21, 25-14), in what was both teams’ BIG EAST Conference opener Saturday at Purcell Pavilion.
Eppink did not commit an error on 18 swings as the Irish (8-3 overall, 1-0 BIG EAST) hit .290 on the day and aced Georgetown (8-6, 0-1) 10 times. Sophomore Andrea McHugh had three aces with freshman Toni Alugbue, senior Kristen Dealy and senior Frenchy Silva each adding two apiece from behind the stripe.
The Irish were as dominant at the net as they were behind the service line with Eppink leading all players with six blocks and sophomore Maggie Brindock – who dished out a match-high 23 assists – stuffing five attacks.
Freshman Jeni Houser and Alugbue each had four blocks with Houser also contributing six kills. McHugh had six kills for the Irish and a team-best 13 digs.
Georgetown hit a paltry .009 with a -.030 average in the first set while slugging at a -.118 rate to end the contest. Notre Dame hit .469 in the opener, its best hitting period of the contest.
Annalee Abell had eight kills to lead the visitors.
The 13th straight win over Georgetown for Notre Dame gives the Irish their fourth-straight win – the longest streak of the season – heading into Sunday’s home matchup with Villanova at 1:00 p.m. (ET). That contest will be televised live nationally on ESPNU.
Notre Dame did not commit a hitting error in the first set while rolling out to a 10-4 lead. Three kills from Eppink helped boost that lead to 18-6 and Alugbue dropped back-to-back dingers followed by a Brindock ace to give Notre Dame a 13-point advantage at 22-9.
Georgetown tied the second at 1-1 but that was as close at it would get until late in the frame.
Alugbue served Notre Dame to a 7-1 lead with Dealy chipping in a pair of kills during the run and Notre Dame led, 18-10, before Georgetown rallied to come within one at 18-17. The teams traded points until three straight Irish scores put an end to things when the Hoyas inched in at 22-21.
Georgetown scored the first point of the third but Notre Dame answered with a 4-0 run. McHugh aced the Hoyas twice and Silva punched in two more to give Notre Dame a 15-8 lead.
That was all the home team would need as McHugh and Brindock each added an ace for good measure during a 7-2 run midway through the set that helped end the contest.