Oct. 18, 2006
HONOLULU, Hawai’i- The Notre Dame volleyball team (12-7, 6-0 BIG EAST) fell to No. 16 ranked Hawai’i Wahine (15-5), 3-1, on Tuesday evening, Oct 17 at the Stan Sheriff Center. The game scores went 28-30, 25-30, 30-22, 23-30. This was the first time the Irish have dropped a four-game match this season.
Justine Stremick (Langdon, N.D./Langdon Area) led the offensive attack with 14 kills. Mallorie Croal (Villa Park, Calif./Mater Dei) added 11 kills. Adrianna Stasiuk (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine South) picked up her 13th double-double of the season with 11 kills and 14 digs. Serinity Phillips (Valley Center, Calif./Valley Center) had nine kills and two digs. Freshman Kim Kristoff (Carmel, Ind./Brebeuf Jesuit Prep) had four kills and five digs. Both Irish setters Ashley Tarutis (Long Beach, Calif./Los Alamitos) and Jamel Nicholas (Gibsonia, Pa./Pine-Richland) reached double figures in assists. Nicholas, for the ninth time this season, led the team with 26 assists. Tarutis picked up 23 helpers. Danielle Herndon (Plant City, Fla./Durant) was tied for the match lead with 23 digs. For the match, the Irish were out hit by Hawai’i .251 to .222.
The first game was tight in the early going, as a Stremick kill tied the score at four all. A Stasiuk kill gave Notre Dame its first lead of the match at 10-9. The Irish now on a 4-0 rally, ran their lead to a large as three before the Rainbow Wahine stormed back to tie the game at tie the game at 12 on a kill from Sarah Mason. The game went back and forth with neither team able to open up more than a one-point advantage before a Stremick and Phillips block assist opened up a two-point Notre Dame lead at 16-14. A Stremick kill keyed another Irish 4-0 run, as Notre Dame opened up its largest lead of the game at 20-16. The Rainbow Wahine would not go down without a fight and closed to within two on a kill by Jamie Houston forcing a Notre Dame timeout at 23-21. The rest of the game was a dog fight, as the Irish were attempting to hang on as the Rainbow Wahine were trying to catch up. Hawai’i got back-to-back kills from Mason to tie the game and then passed Notre Dame, as part of a 4-0 run to end the first game in a 30-28 victory. Phillips led the Irish attack in the first game with four kills in five attempts for .800 hitting percentage.
Hawai’i building on the tremendous comeback of the first game, started the second on a 7-2 run, before Notre Dame crept back to within two on the kill from Tarutis at 8-6. A kill from Croal brought the Irish within one at 11-10. But just as soon as Notre Dame tied the game up on a Stremick solo block, another Hawai’i 3-0 run allowed them to take control of the match at 14-11. The Irish, aided by a 4-1 run, tied the game up at 15 on a Herndon service ace. All the way up to the 20 point mark the game was back and forth, with Notre Dame never able to quite get over the hump and take the lead from Hawai’i. Notre Dame would make one finally push and get within two, the latest being at 27-25, but the Rainbow Wahine stood strong a closed the game on a 3-0 run to take the second game 30-25.
Notre Dame opened its first lead of the third game, 8-7, on the kill from Kristoff. After a brief Hawai’i run, Notre Dame tied the game at 14 on a Stremick kill. The Irish went on a 4-2 run of their own to take their largest lead of the third game at 18-16, on a block assist from Croal and freshman Tara Enzweiler (Raleigh, N.C./Cardinal Gibbons). The lead grew to four points on solo block from Croal at 20-16, only to see Hawai’i get within one at 20-19. This time, it was the Irish that showed their composure, as they finished the third game on a 10-2 run to win 30-22.
In the forth game, Stremick gave Notre Dame the early advantage with a kill at 6-3. Hawai’i rallied and tied the game at nine on a Houston kill. The Irish finished off a long six possession rally with Stasiuk kill to open up at 13-11 advantage. The Rainbow Wahine rallied and tied the game at 14 on an Irish attacking error. Stremick tied the game up again at 17 with another kill only to see Hawai’i go on a 5-1 run. The Irish climbed themselves back to within two at 23-21 on the block assist from Stremick and Phillips. Hawai’i stood tough and finished the match on a 7-2 run to capture the game and a match victory.
Next, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish return home to play a pair of conference match starting on Friday, Oct. 20 against Connecticut at 4 p.m. before the pep rally for the UCLA football game.