Through her years as a coach at Notre Dame, Irish coach Susan Holt has always strived to make the team a national contender.
After finishing second in the Big East tournament and qualifying for the NCAA regional tournament last season, Holt hopes her team can continue their climb to the top this year.
"We've been working on building a consistent national contending program here, and I think we've done a really good job of that the last few years," Holt said. "[Returning golfers] experienced success early on in their careers ... They got a taste of it and want to maintain it."
One player Holt will look to forward her team's success is sophomore Ashley Armstrong. Armstrong was named Big East Women's Freshman Golfer Of The Year last season and was also the Big East tournament champion.
"Ashley really came on in the spring and had the semester that she was capable of," Holt said.
Armstrong will lead an Irish squad that includes returning junior Kristina Nhim, sophomore Kelli Oride and welcomes freshmen Lindsey Weaver, Talia Campbell and Katherine Guo.
"[Breaking into the team in the fall] definitely gave me a big confidence boost and I played much better in the spring," Armstrong said in an interview with UND.com. "It's given me a huge confidence boost for this season."
For Armstrong, playing for the Irish is a special experience.
"I know for a fact that I wouldn't want to wear any other golf bag walking down the course, its such an honor to play here," Armstrong said. "The academics and great golf are a perfect mix. It feels really great to be representing the school, and I hope that all of our work will pay off and everything clicks together."
Holt believes athletes like Armstrong are at the essence of what the University stands for, as well as a player that will push the Irish to another level.
"[Armstrong] just speaks to the quality of the student athlete that we're able to atract here," Holt said. "We've got great facilities, a great university and great academics ... It's a pretty great package. We've been able to attract really top talent the past six years."
Armstrong and the Irish tee off the season this weekend when they travel to East Lansing, Mich., for the Mary Fossum Invitational.
