Notre Dame volleyball hosts Illinois at 6:30 p.m on Friday. Led by sophomore sensation Morgan Gaerte, the Irish are aiming to pick up a big nonconference win against a high caliber Illini team.
Still settling into the season, Notre Dame sits at .500 after splitting their first two games of the year. The Irish kicked things off with a gusty 3-2 win against Santa Clara. Down 14-10 and facing match point in the fifth set, Notre Dame clawed their way back into the game to pick up their first win of the year. Gaerte posted a career-high 21 kills on the night, but her final two proved most memorable. With the score knotted at 15 apiece, Gaerte delivered the final two kills to seal the Irish comeback.
Gaerte followed Aug. 29 up with another terrific performance against Villanova on Aug. 31, firing away 20 kills. Senior Lucy Trump also put together a strong performance, recording 12 kills and clipping a .550 hitting percentage. However, these brilliant individual displays were not enough for a Notre Dame victory. The Irish lost in five sets with the Wildcats outscoring Notre Dame 7-3 to close the game out.
The Irish now turn their attention to Illinois. The Illini are coming off of a successful 18-13 season, reaching their fifth NCAA tournament since head coach Chris Tamas took charge in 2017. A consistent force in the loaded Big Ten, Illinois is not too far removed from their Final Four run in 2018.
Illinois is now looking for new difference makers to pave the way for continued success, especially with the loss of program legend Raina Terry. Named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-America Third Team at the conclusion of last season, Terry left Illinois as the program’s all-time leader in kills and service aces with 2,138 and 220, respectively. Terry’s 975 digs rank her in the top 10 in school history as well. The absence of Terry as the epitome of versatility leaves Illinois with a major void.
While Terry leaves big shoes to fill, Illinois will likely find some relief with redshirt sophomore Taylor de Boer stepping into a bigger role. Notching a team-high 15 kills in Illinois’ season-opener against South Dakota State followed by a 17-kill performance against Vanderbilt, de Boer has performed well navigating more responsibility thus far.
Similar to their opposition, Notre Dame will also rely on newer faces to step up to the plate. Freshmen Chichi Nnaji and Maya Evens have taken on pivotal roles in their first year with the Irish. Nnaji has worked herself into the outside hitter rotation, while Evens has gotten the nod by head coach Salima Rockwell at the libero position.
It’s not just the freshmen who have rose to the occasion in the first two games of the season. Junior Sydney Helmers, a transfer from Texas, is already seen as a lockerroom leader. Having won the 2023 National Championship, Helmers brings perspective, leadership and wisdom to the young Irish team.
With both veterans of the game and newcomers in the mix, Rockwell will likely utilize her typical 6-2 rotation to maximize the production of Notre Dame’s swingers.
Admission for the game is free. Streaming can be found on ACCNX and ESPN+ at 6:30 p.m.
