Nov. 3, 2006
Box Score
Washington, D.C. - The Georgetown volleyball team suffered a 3-0 loss to BIG EAST Conference foe Notre Dame tonight at McDonough Arena. The Hoyas drop to 7-17 overall and 1-10 in league action while the Fighting Irish improve to 14-10, 8-3 BE. Game scores were 21-30, 21-30, 14-30.
The first game saw an energized Hoya offense as the team had an overall .239 attack percentage with senior Annie Connor (Los Altos, Calif./St. Francis) leading the way (.500). Connor and freshman Kortney Robinson (Pleasant Grove, Utah/Pleasant Grove) led the team with four kills apiece in game one. Trailing by seven (15-8), GU took four consecutive points off a Connor kill, two service aces from Robinson and block assists from sophomore Caitlin Boland (Naperville, Ill./Benet Academy) and Connor to pull within three (15-12). However, a Notre Dame timeout would sway the momentum back in their favor as they took nine of the next 12 points for a 25-15 lead. The Blue and Gray would take advantage of costly ND errors and a kill from Robinson to climb back within seven (25-18) but it would not be enough as the Irish won game one, 30-21.
Four early three-point runs for the Irish set the tone for game two. Strong kills and critical digs from the Notre Dame defense held back the Hoyas as they trailed by as many as 10 points (20-10). Sophomore Jessica Buffum (San Jose, Calif./Lynbrook) recorded an impressive six kills in the second game despite the strong Irish defense. The 10 point deficit was one the Hoyas could not recover from as they went on to lose game two, 30-21.
Game three saw a strong start as the Hoyas kept it close only trailing by two after a kill from sophomore Katherine Niesen (Gainesville, Fla./Eastside). However, 10 of the next 12 points went to Notre Dame, giving them a commanding 18-8 lead. The overall Irish offense was tough as both Megan Fesl and Justine Stremick led ND with four kills apiece in game three alone. Notre Dame would go on to win the game, 30-14 and the match, 3-0.
Niesen led the Hoyas with a .455 attack percentage for the game while Buffum led the team with 11 kills. Connor and Robinson contributed seven kills apiece and freshman Jessica Hardy (Manhattan Beach, Calif./Mira Costa) dug 13 balls. The Irish outdug the Hoyas, 48-36.
"I think the Hoyas came out with high energy," Georgetown University Head Coach Arlisa Hagan said. "Notre Dame is a very fast and a more athletic team than many of the other teams we've competed against. They outdug us by 12 and they had a very scrappy defense. I think we competed with a lot of energy and heart especially in the first two games and hit a wall in the third."
Georgetown celebrates Senior Day on Sunday, November 5 at 2 p.m. when they host BIG EAST opponent DePaul at McDonough Arena. The Hoyas will honor the contributions of the three seniors: Rachel Barton (Marietta, Ga./The Walker School), Jessica George (Kennett Square, Ga./Kennett) and Connor.
