Nov. 7, 2000
The University of Notre Dame volleyball team (22-5, 10-0 in the BIG EAST) swept non-conference opponent Saint Louis (11-16) in three games (15-5, 15-5, 15-10), Tuesday night at the Joyce Center. It was the last regular season home match for Irish seniors Denise Boylan (Lisle, Ill.), Christi Girton (Muncie, Ind.), Michelle Graham (Austin, Texas), Jo Jameyson (Alvin, Texas) and Adrienne Shimmel (Mission Viejo, Calif.) — and they went out in dominating style.
All the seniors played most of the match and led the Irish to an easy win over the Billikens. Girton had a match-high 15 kills and 11 digs. Shimmel set a career-high for kills in a match with nine and also had five digs. Boylan posted 40 assists in just over two games. Graham had a season high five digs while Jameyson had three digs and a kills. Most notable, the seniors led Notre Dame to a 12-0 lead in the final game before being ceremoniously taken out of the game.
Junior Kristy Kreher (Birmingham, Mich.) also starred offensively for the Irish with 13 kills on 22 attempts without a hitting error for a .591 hitting percentage. Kreher also posted four blocks and six digs. Classmate Malinda Goralski (Missouri City, Texas) had eight blocks and seven kills in the match.
Next up for the Irish is the last conference match of the season, on the road at Syracuse (Nov. 11, 1:00 p.m.). Notre Dame has already clinched its fourth BIG EAST regular season conference title this season and is assured the first seed in the BIG EAST tournament, scheduled for Nov. 18-19 in the Joyce Center.