Nov. 4, 2001
The University of Notre Dame volleyball team ended its six-match streak of road matches on a high note with an impressive 3-0 victory at Pittsburgh on Sunday, Nov. 4. The Irish are now 16-5 on the season and 10-0 in the BIG EAST while Pittsburgh drops to 8-15 and 5-5 in conference play.
The Irish entered the match with the Panthers coming off a victory at West Virginia on Saturday, Nov. 3. Notre Dame controlled the net in the victory, posting 16 team blocks, but against the Panthers on Sunday, the Irish overwhelmed the home team with their hitting.
At the end of the match, the Irish hitting percentage stood at .495, third-best in Notre Dame volleyball history. Following the accurate setting of sophomore Kristen Kinder, the Irish committed just five hitting errors on 95 attempts in the match. Four of Notre Dame’s main hitters posted a percentage over .400 in the match, led by senior Kristy Kreher with a career-best .765 mark (13 kills, zero errors, 17 attempts).
Malinda Goralski (.474 hitting), Kim Fletcher (.563 hitting), Marcie Bomhack (.400 hitting) and Emily Loomis (.381 hitting) all played a part in the team attack accuracy, while Goralski and Loomis both had 10 kills a piece.
Wendy Hatlestad led Pittsburgh with 23 kills on .302 hitting, but Notre Dame was able to post 12 team blocks for its sixth-straight match with double-digit team blocks. The Irish have now blocked more than 10 attempts in 14 matches this season.
The Pittsburgh match wrapped up a stretch of 26 days for the Irish without a home match in the Joyce Center. Notre Dame fans will get a chance to welcome their team back home on Friday, Nov. 9, when the Irish take on St. John’s at 7 p.m.