Oct. 20, 1999
SALT LAKE CITY – In one of the most competitive and heated matches of the season, the Notre Dame volleyball team fell to Utah, 15-11, 15-13, 13-15, 15-6, Wednesday night here at the Crimson Court on the campus of the University of Utah. With the loss, the Irish fell to 10-6 overall, while Utah improved to 14-5.
The Irish got 16 kills from sophomore Marcie Bomhack (Waukesha, Wis.) and 12 from senior Mary Leffers (Tampa, Fla.) in the loss. Leffers and Bomhack also led the team in blocks with eight and six respectively, while junior Denise Boylan (Lisle, Ill.) contributed 45 assists. Alisa Geddes led the Utes with 23 kills on .450 hitting.
In game one, the Irish found themselves in a similar situation as the Brigham Young match, opening with an early 4-0 lead. The Utes, however, staged a comeback and tied the match at 4-4 on a kill by Brooke Barton. The game was tied two more times, before Utah scored five unanswered points, pulling to a 12-7 lead. Notre Dame got to within two points at 11-13 on a block by captains Leffers and Boylan. After a timeout, the Utes advanced to game point on a kill. Following three game points, Utah won the game, 15-11.
In an almost exact replay of game one, the Irish once again opened with a 4-0 lead, before Utah caught up at 4-4 and took the lead on a hitting error by Irish junior Jo Jameyson (Alvin, Texas). The Utes held a three-point lead at 7-4, before Notre Dame once again retook the lead at 8-7 and built up a three-point advantage at 10-7. Not to be out done, Utah tied the score at 10 and then 11 before taking a 13-11 lead. A solo block by Notre Dame sophomore Bomhack got the Irish to within one at 12-13. A Notre Dame hitting error gave Utah the first of three game points at 14-12, but a Utes? hitting error closed the gap once again to 14-13. After an exchange of two sideouts, Utah won game two on a hitting error, 15-13.
With junior Christ Girton (Muncie, Ind.) entering the lineup for the first time at the outside hitter position for the Irish, game three began the same as the first two, with an early Notre Dame 4-0 lead. The Utes once again caught up at 7-7, following three consecutive aces by Geddes. Notre Dame broke the tie after a Utah hitting error, but two consecutive Irish hitting errors put Utah back in the lead at 9-8. The Utes continued their unanswered scoring drive by building up a 13-8 advantage. Notre Dame finally scored point number nine on an ace, before embarking on its own unanswered scoring drive, tying the score at 13-13 and then winning the tension filled third game 15-13 on two kills by Leffers.
In a reversal of the first three games, the Utes opened game four with a 4-0 lead before a Girton kill and a Utah hitting error put Notre Dame on the board at 4-2. A Notre Dame miscommunication, at 5-2, began a Utah run of five straight points, making the score 9-2. The Irish would catch up to within eight at 14-6, but were unable to come back, falling 15-6.
Notre Dame returns home for two BIG EAST matches Friday, Oct. 22 against St. John?s and Sunday, Oct. 24 versus Connecticut.