Notre Dame volleyball fell to Illinois in five sets on Friday night, dropping to 1-2 on the season. Although the Irish are disappointed to come away with their second consecutive five-set loss, they were consoled by sophomore Morgan Gaerte’s historic performance. The preseason All-ACC outside hitter recorded an Irish single-game record 34 kills.
Gaerte got off to a strong start in the first set. Her eight kills inspired the Irish to a 25-22 victory in the opening sequence. Up by 22-16, Illinois was able to give Notre Dame a run for their money. However, between Gaerte’s excellence and the Irish’s block-party on defense, they fell short as Notre Dame took set one.
But, just like their first two games of the young season, the Irish fell short in the second set. Notre Dame bounced back in the third, winning 25-23. Illinois responded with immediate force in the fourth set. Then Illinois jumped out to an early 13-5 lead. That eight-point difference proved to be just too much for the Irish to come back from, as Illinois won comfortably 25-18.
With the match on the line in the final frame, Illinois carried on their momentum from the fourth set. The Illini won 15-11. While Notre Dame largely relied on Gaerte’s dominant attacking presence, Illinois utilized a much more balanced approach offensively. The Illini had five players record nine or more kills, whereas the Irish only had two.
The Irish were also unable to maintain their blocking presence as the game progressed. Initially, Notre Dame’s blocking unit of Gaerte, sophomore middle blocker Anna Bjork and freshman outside hitter Chichi Nnaji were a thorn in the side of the Illini. Notre Dame’s height at the net forced several errors from Illinois attackers, who tried their best to hit around the tall Irish block. Eventually, however, the Irish’s blocking unit became spread out, allowing Illinois to have easier looks.
Regardless of the result, head coach Salima Rockwell and the entire program can rejoice thanks to Gaerte’s remarkable showing. Her program record of 34 kills is made even more impressive given the fact that the NCAA once played to 30 points per set rather than 25.
With the entirety of her sophomore season and two more years ahead of her, Gaerte is on a trajectory to become one of the best players in the country. Her 5.0 kills per set rank her top 10 in the country, and she’s providing this stellar offense while maintaining a .334 hitting percentage.
Gaerte’s 75 kills are the most of all-time by any Notre Dame player through the first three games of the season.
A former five-star recruit and fifth-ranked player in the country, Gaerte has not only lived up to the hype, she has surpassed it. Under the stewardship of Rockwell, Gaerte is at the forefront of the Irish’s plan to reach their first NCAA tournament since 2020.
Notre Dame looks to bounce back as they host LSU on Sept. 9 at 6:30 p.m. at Purcell Pavilion. Admission for the match is free.
