SOUTH BEND, IND. – The Notre Dame volleyball team concludes the season-opening homestand Tuesday night when the Irish host the LSU Tigers, part of the inaugural “Showdown at the Net”, which features Atlantic Coast Conference teams taking on teams from the Southeastern Conference.
The Irish have played three consecutive five-set matches to begin the 2025 season. After beating Santa Clara to start off the year, Notre Dame has two hard fought losses to Villanova and just recently Illinois last Friday.
Against Illinois, Morgan Gaerte set the school record with 34 kills. She broke Kathy Cunningham’s record of 33 kills back on September 18, 1987 against William & Mary. The record had stood for over 37 years. She became just the third player in Irish history to have three consecutive 20+ kill games and has the most kills (75) through the first three games of a season in program history.
Tuesday’s match is set for 6:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra. The first 600 fans in attendance will receive a free LED Foam Stick.
HISTORY VS. LSU
- This is the ninth meeting between Notre Dame and LSU, with the Tigers leading the series 6-2
- The two teams have not faced off since the 2009 season, when Irish hosted LSU at the Shamrock Invitational to begin the season. LSU won in three sets
- Notre Dame’s last win against LSU came on November 23, 2001. The Irish swept the Tigers 30-24, 30-15, 30-25 at the Florida Volleyball Challenge in Buena Vista, Florida
ALL EYES ON MORGAN GAERTE
- Morgan Gaerte is playing unlike anyone ever to wear the Blue and Gold has for the Irish to start a season
- The All-ACC Preseason Selection broke the school record for kills in a match last Friday against Illinois with 34. Kathy Cunningham’s record of 33 kills had stood for over 37 years. Those 34 kills are tied for the most in a single match so far this season in the country with
- She is the just the third player in Irish history to have three consecutive games of 20 or more kills. Her 75 kills to start the season so far are the most in school history
- A 2025 Preseason All-ACC Selection, Gaerte leads the conference and is fifth nationally with 5.0 kills per set. In points per set, she is first in the ACC and ninth in the country with 5.53.
IT’S A BLOCK PARTY IN SOUTH BEND
- On the year, the Irish have 43.0 blocks on the season, registering double-digit blocks in all three games.
- Notre Dame recorded 32.0 blocks combined during the first two games of the season, the most in the rally scoring era (2008). The Irish opened up with 19.0 blocks in the win over Santa Clara and 13.0 against Villanova. The 19.0 blocks is a single-game record in the rally scoring era for the Irish
- MB Grace Langer tallied a career-best 11.0 in the win over Santa Clara. Her 20.0 total blocks this season are the sixth-most in the ACC so far this year
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, who was a two-time Max Preps All-American, leads the team with 66 assists and is second on the team with 31 digs so far in 2025.
- 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).
- Evens started both games for the Irish at libero and leads the team with 62 digs early in the season. She also has 13 assists.
- 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.
- Nnaji has made an early impact in a short time. She is second on the team with 24 kills, 19 total blocks and 33.0 points.
- The Irish added one player from the portal, outside hitter Sydney Helmers from Texas. She was a member of the 2023 National Champion team as a freshman for the Longhorns. The junior has 22 kills, 17 digs and is tied for the team lead with five service aces this season.