ND Volleyball: Silva keeping team focused
A familiar voice on the Irish volleyball court has rung out louder than ever before in the first few weeks on campus, and it doesn't belong to one of the coaches.
A familiar voice on the Irish volleyball court has rung out louder than ever before in the first few weeks on campus, and it doesn't belong to one of the coaches.
While the Irish look to build on last year's successes when they finished second in the Big East, the team's fortune depends largely on Max Scodro.
The Irish jumpstarted their season this weekend with two wins and a loss at the Shamrock Invitational at the Purcell Pavilion.
The No. 18 Irish wrapped up preseason scrimmages over the weekend with two wins at the National Soccer Festival in Fort Wayne, defeating No. 14 Ohio State 2-0 Saturday and besting IPFW 3-0 on Sunday.
The Belles teed off strongly this weekend when they claimed first place at the Trine Fall Invitational at Zollner Golf Course with a combined score of 660.
Corrigan on the contrast with 2009's tournament disappointment:
Notre Dame will finish its three-game exhibition schedule with games against No. 18 Ohio State and Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne this weekend, after opening with a 3-2 victory over Illinois-Chicago Monday.
Notre Dame will open its 2010 season on its home court, as the Irish will take on Marshall, Cal Poly and Arizona in the Shamrock Invitational this weekend.
One day after only describing practice with disappointed sentences sprinkled with harsh words, Irish coach Brian Kelly said his team was "close" Thursday after practice.
While two games is hardly a large enough sample size to make any predictions, posting back-to-back shutouts against Minnesota and Milwaukee to open the season may be an indication of things to come. Recognized for their efforts as stalwarts of the Irish defense, junior defender Jessica Schuveiller and senior goalkeeper Nikki Weiss nabbed Big East Weekly Honors in the first announcement of the season.
Under the leadership of Irish coach Bobby Bayliss in his 24th season at the helm, the Irish look to continue last season's success, when they finished second in the Big East after falling to then-No. 15 Louisville in the Big East championship match.
Only 10 days separate Notre Dame from a game that counts, but in Wednesday's practice the Irish seemed to worry more about that game than the practice at hand.
As the school year begins with lots of new expectations, Saint Mary's looks to set the bar even higher this year.
With the start of the new academic year comes a new set of even higher expectations for a revamped Irish team. After placing 23rd at last year's NCAA Championships, the squad is looking to get off the bus running.
When Brian Kelly advised media members not to "get married to a two-deep right now" at his fall camp opening press conference, he wasn't kidding around.
Despite opening the season with several new faces on the pitch, the fourth-ranked Irish picked up right where they usually do — in the win column. Bolstered by the solid play of a talented freshman class, Notre Dame posted back-to-back shutouts against Minnesota and UW-Milwaukee in the first action of the 2010 season.
Coming off a Big East title and 26-4 overall record last season, the Irish look to advance past the NCAA semifinals after falling in the same round the past two seasons.
Heading into last season, a major storyline for the Irish was the farewell tour of forward Luke Harangody and point guard Tory Jackson, the leaders of the winningest class in program history.
A freshman made a big impact on a veteran Irish team in 2009. This year, freshmen will take on a vital role following the departure of five seniors.
Losing six seniors has yet to slow the Irish down as they enter their season with two returning players named to the all-Big East preseason team, a third-place ranking in the Big East preseason poll, and six highly recruited freshmen who have already made headlines in the volleyball world.