Oct. 19, 2012
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The University of Notre Dame volleyball team trailed in only one set at Georgetown in BIG EAST action Friday, ultimately rolling to a 3-0 (25-17, 25-12, 25-13) decision over the Hoyas at McDonough Arena in Washington D.C. The victory was the fifth straight for the Fighting Irish.
The five-match winning streak is the longest for Notre Dame (14-6, 7-1 BIG EAST) during the 2012 season, surpassing a prior three-match run that spanned Sept. 16 (W, 3-1, Kansas) to a 3-2 five-set thriller at then-No. 10 Louisville Sept. 23.
Sophomore outside hitter Toni Alugbue powered the Notre Dame attack with a team-high nine kills, hitting at a .643 clip for the match. Junior Andrea McHugh and sophomore Jeni Houser each chipped in seven kills apiece, with McHugh adding four digs and one solo block. Junior setter Maggie Brindock tied a career-high with six kills on seven total attacks (personal-best .857 hitting percentage), and paced the Fighting Irish with 29 assists.
The Hoyas (6-15, 0-8 BIG EAST) took their biggest lead of the match in the first set, as a kill from Lindsay Wise extended the early Georgetown advantage to 5-3. Notre Dame rallied with eight of the next 10 points, capped by back-to-back attack errors by the Hoyas, to open an 11-7 lead. McHugh scored the final two Fighting Irish points of the set, knocking home an assist from freshman setter Hanna Muzzonigro to claim the first set for Notre Dame.
It was all Notre Dame during the second set, as the Fighting Irish raced out to a 16-9 advantage punctuated by an Alugbue kill. The visitors scored the final five points of the second period, taking a commanding 2-0 lead in the match thanks to a kill from junior hitter Nicole Smith.
The Fighting Irish cruised to a 21-10 cushion over the Hoyas in third and final set, winning nine of 12 points during one stretch. A pair of kills by Muzzonigro and sophomore hitter Meg Vonderhaar clinched the straight-set win for Notre Dame.
The Fighting Irish return to action at 2 p.m. (ET) on Sunday, when Notre Dame travels to Villanova for a BIG EAST matchup inside the Nevin Field House.
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