Printer-Friendly Format     E-mail this article     Sophomore Mallorie Croal lead the team with 13 kills and chipped in 17 digs in a 3-0 win over West Virginia

 
Notre Dame Volleyball Sweeps West Virginia, 3-0

The Irish End Home Regular Season and Senior Day With a Win

Nov. 12, 2006

Box Score

NOTRE DAME, Ind.- Mallorie Croal (Villa Park, Calif./Mater Dei) led the even attack with 13 kills, as Notre Dame's volleyball (16-11, 10-4 BIG EAST) team coasted to a three-game sweep of West Virginia (3-27, 2-12 BIG EAST) on Sunday afternoon at the Joyce Center. The game scores went 30-19, 30-21, 30-17. Notre Dame ends up in four-way tie for third place during the regular season and will have to await the outcomes of other BIG EAST matches for their seeding in the BIG EAST Tournament in Cincinnati (Nov. 17-19).

Croal had match-high 13 kills, a .429 hitting percentage, six assists and 17 digs. For Croal it was her second consecutive match with 17 digs. Junior Adrianna Stasiuk (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine South) put in a solid all-around effort with 11 kills, a .409 hitting percentage, and 10 digs. Freshman Megan Fesl (Arlington Heights, Ill./John Hersey) put together nine kills, a .438 hitting percentage and two blocks. Sophomore middle blocker Justine Stremick (Langdon, N.D./Langdon Area) was steady with six kills, a .385 hitting percentage and four blocks. The Irish junior setter Ashley Tarutis (Long Beach, Calif./Los Alamitos) led the team with 29 assists. Senior Danielle Herndon (Plant City, Fla./Durant), making her final regular season showing at the Joyce Center, added 17 digs. For the match, the Irish out hit West Virginia .308 to .062.

The Irish took control of game one early and never looked back, jumping out to a 10-3 lead on the kill from Croal. A kill from Stasiuk increased the lead to 10 at 21-11. After the Mountaineers closed to within six on a kill from Tammy Wolfs at 24-16, the Irish closed the game on a 6-3 run highlighted by a game ending service ace from Fesl. Notre Dame out hit WVU .326 to .083 in the first game.

After having problems in the second game the day before, Notre Dame would have none of it today jumping out to a 14-9 lead on a kill from Croal. The Irish lead reached nine on block assist from the freshmen duo of Fesl and Tara Enzweiler (Raleigh, N.C./Cardinal Gibbons). After WVU chipped the lead down to six at 24-18, Notre Dame rallied and again closed the game on a 6-3 run to take game two 30-21, finished off by a Fesl put down. For the game the Irish out hit West Virginia .220 to .045.

Freshman Kim Kristoff (Carmel, Ind./Brebeuf Jesuit Prep) gave Notre Dame an 11-4 lead early in the third game with a kill. West Virginia then rallied and got within three at 14-11 on the kill from Kristina Gallahan. Notre Dame would put together a 13-1 run highlighted by three kills from Stasiuk and a pair of rally enders from Fesl, to take a 24-12 lead. Notre Dame would continue to roll and finished the game on a West Virginia attacking error to take the game 30-17 and sweep their eighth BIG EAST opponent of the season.

Next, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will head back to Cincinnati for the BIG EAST Volleyball Tournament from Nov. 17-19. The opponent has yet to be determined with seeding for the tournament still to be determined with the current four-way tie for third place.

Notes: This was the fifth time this season that Irish have held an opponent to under a .100 hitting percentage ... Stasiuk has 15 double-doubles this season ... in a pre-game ceremony senior Danielle Herndon and Megan McGuire were recognized for all they have contributed to the Notre Dame volleyball program during their four years of service.