SOUTH BEND, IND. – Notre Dame volleyball opens up the 2025 season and head coach Salima Rockwell’s fourth season in South Bend this weekend with the Catholic Challenge, hosted at Purcell Pavilion. The Catholic Challenge consists of competition between Notre Dame, Villanova and Santa Clara on the volleyball courts. Last season, the Irish swept Villanova and bested host Santa Clara in four sets on the road in California to kick off the 2024 campaign. Morgan Gaerte led the Irish with 13 kills in the win over Santa Clara while Notre Dame as a team totaled 37 kills in the sweep over Villanova. The Irish are 3-1 over the past two years in the Catholic Challenge.
The three-day Catholic Challenge begins with the Irish hosting Santa Clara in the season opener on Friday, August 29th at 6:30 PM ET before Santa Clara and Villanova face off on Saturday, August 30th at 3:00 PM ET in a neutral site match. Notre Dame and Villanova close the early season invite on Sunday, August 31st at 1:00 PM ET. Admission to all Notre Dame regular season matches is free.
It all begins tonight#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/KtD31ow575
— Notre Dame Volleyball (@NDvolleyball) August 29, 2025
HISTORY VS. SANTA CLARA
- This is just the eighth time in program history that the Irish and Broncos have faced off. Santa Clara leads the series 5-2.
- Notre Dame will look to go back-to-back against the Broncos after winning on the road last year in four sets, 22-25, 25-21, 25-19, 27-25
- Morgan Gaerte led the way with 13 kills, while Anna Bjork tallied a career-best 8 blocks in the win last season.
HISTORY VS. VILLANOVA
- This will be the 26th meeting between the Irish and the Wildcats with Notre Dame leading the overall series 21-4. The longest win streak for the Irish is 16 in a row against the Wildcats (Oct. 25, 1982 – Sept. 24, 2006).
- Notre Dame swept Villanova for the second-straight season last year, winning 25-6, 25-19, 25-22 in Santa Clara. In 2023, the Irish won 25-17, 25-20, 25-17 on the road against the Wildcats.
- Notre Dame took home the road sweep 25-15, 25-18, 25-13 in their last game together as BIG EAST opponents in 2012.
KEY RETURNERS
- The Irish return 14 to the roster; 5 outside hitters, 3 defensive specialist/liberos, 3 middle blockers, 2 setters and 1 opposite.
- Morgan Gaerte returns coming off a freshman campaign that included 185 kills (3.14 kills per set) in 16 matches.
- Notre Dame returns all three middle blockers; Mallory Bohl, Anna Bjork and Grace Langer for their sophomore seasons. Bjork totaled 135 kills and 102 blocks (15 solo) as an intimidating presence in the middle. Langer played in all 29 matches last year and tallied 98 kills and 85 blocks while Bohl notched 65.5 points during the 2024 season.
FRESH FACES
- The Irish welcome five freshmen to the team, bringing the Irish to a roster size of 20.
- The freshman class consists of Maya Baker (S), Maya Evens (DS/L), Mae Kordas (OH/O), Chichi Nnaji (OH), Sophia Thornburg (OH).
- Baker was a two-time Max Preps All-American, while also being a consistent member of the USAV National Team Development Program.
- The Irish pair a duo of former high school teammates in the incoming freshman class. Maya Evens and Mae Kordas both played together at Cathedral Catholic High School in Carlsbad, California. The duo was part of two Open State Championships (2022, 2024).
- Chichi Nnaji and Sophia Thornburg were high school teammates in Dallas, Texas at the Ursuline Academy of Dallas. Thornburg was named to the Prep Volleyball Top 100 National List for the Class of 2025 while Nnaji spent time working with the USAV National Team Development Program.
- The Irish added one player from the portal, outside hitter Sydney Helmer from Texas. She was a member of the 2023 National Champion team as a freshman for the Longhorns.
PRESEASON ALL-ACC MORGAN GAERTE
- Morgan Gaerte was named to the 2025 Preseason All-ACC Volleyball Team on July 31st. The sophomore outside hitter is one of only 18 conference players to receive the accolade.
- As a freshman in 2024, Gaerte played in 16 matches, totaling 185 kills, 61 digs, 37 blocks and eight aces. She tallied nine games with double-digit kills, including a career-high 18 in a five-set match against Georgia Tech. Gaerte led the team with 3.14 kills per set a season ago.
- Hailing from Angola, Indiana, a mere 78 miles east of South Bend, Gaerte came into Notre Dame in 2024 as the top player in the state by Prep Dig and a high school All-American. She was named the No. 5 player in the country by Volleyball Magazine.
2025 CATHOLIC CHALLENGE SCHEDULE:
NOTRE DAME vs. SANTA CLARA – FRIDAY, AUGUST 29TH AT 6:30 PM ET
Location: South Bend, Indiana | Purcell Pavilion
LIVE STATS | SOCIAL MEDIA UPDATES
SANTA CLARA vs. VILLANOVA – SATURDAY, AUGUST 30TH AT 3:00 PM ET
Location: South Bend, Indiana | Purcell Pavilion
NOTRE DAME vs. VILLANOVA – SUNDAY, AUGUST 31ST AT 1:00 PM ET
Location: South Bend, Indiana | Purcell Pavilion