Sunday, November 4
South Bend, Ind.
2:00 PM
University of South Florida
1
at
3
Notre Dame
VB Comeback Falls Short at Notre Dame
November 04, 2007 | Women's Volleyball
SOUTH BEND, Ind. ? Three double-double's from three different positions were not enough as USF Volleyball fell 3-1 (25-30, 24-30, 30-21, 21-30) to Notre Dame this Sunday at the Joyce Center on the campus of Notre Dame.
The Bulls (16-8, 7-5 BIG EAST) were lead by outside hitter Marcela Gurgel, who finished with 23 kills and a .308 hitting percentage as well as 11 digs for one of her best career performances. Teammate Kristina Fabris chipped in with 15 kills and 13 digs for her second double-double of the weekend. It was also an outstanding match for freshman setter Mariana Thon, who spread the ball to five different attackers as the Bulls shifted to a 5-1 offense early on, allowing her to pick up 11 digs to go with her 40 assists. She also posted a career high of six kills on 11 attacks via the dump.
“I thought Mariana did a good job today, that's one of the reasons we went to the 5-1,” said Bulls head coach Claire Lessinger. “I thought Marcela, based on the situation tonight, put up quite a fight. To have 23 kills on 52 attempts is pretty impressive considering their block was committing on her. She was up against a double (block) all night long, and I thought she showed tremendous fight.”
Gurgel came out firing on all cylinders and paced the Bulls with six kills and a .559 hitting percentage in game one, but it wasn't enough to overcome the attack of the Irish. Sophomore Serenity Phillips and junior Justine Stremick registered seven and eight kills respectively, as they lead Notre Dame (11-12, 7-5 BIG EAST) to a .310 percentage as a team. With the game tied at 22, four straight UND kills and a Bulls hitting error pulled the Irish to a 27-22 advantage they wouldn't relinquish. The Bulls did establish a defensive presence at the net, outblocking Notre Dame 4-2.
Game two saw the Bulls rally behind the right arm of Gurgel, who posted seven kills as well as three digs. It was also an outstanding frame for Thon, who chipped in with five digs and three kills to go with 13 assists. The Irish found success through sophomore outside hitter/opposite Megan Fesl, who killed six balls against just one error on nine attacks for a .556 hitting percentage. The sides were tied at 19, but Notre Dame picked up seven of the next eight points via four kills, a block solo from Fesl, and two Bulls hitting errors to pull away to a 26-20 lead.
A better Bulls team took the floor in game three, and it showed in the score line. Gurgel turned in her best frame of the match with six kills against no errors, and three aces to add to her BIG EAST lead in the category, including two to finish the game. Her 9.5 points was the best in a single game for any Bull this road trip, and last year's first team All-Conference performer posted three digs as well. Despite falling behind 4-0 coming back from the locker room, the Bulls reeled off the next six points and never looked back. Ten consecutive side outs were the key as the Bulls finished with a 30-21 result. Six different Bulls found the Notre Dame side of the floor with kills, including five for the senior Fabris. It would also be the only game the Bulls would outhit Notre Dame, with a .317 performance as a team against a .178 mark for the Irish.
Game four would see the tables turn in the opposite direction however, as Notre Dame found five different attackers for multiple kills to pull away. At 17-15 the contest was still in doubt, but another seven of eight point run for the Irish put the match out of distance. The Irish also found their game at the net as well, outblocking the Bulls 5-3 in the penultimate period.
The Bulls will look to lock up their seat in the BIG EAST Conference Tournament when they take on UConn on Friday, November 9th at 7 p.m. in The Corral, which has also been designated as Parent's Night. For ticket information, call 1-800-GoBulls.
The Bulls (16-8, 7-5 BIG EAST) were lead by outside hitter Marcela Gurgel, who finished with 23 kills and a .308 hitting percentage as well as 11 digs for one of her best career performances. Teammate Kristina Fabris chipped in with 15 kills and 13 digs for her second double-double of the weekend. It was also an outstanding match for freshman setter Mariana Thon, who spread the ball to five different attackers as the Bulls shifted to a 5-1 offense early on, allowing her to pick up 11 digs to go with her 40 assists. She also posted a career high of six kills on 11 attacks via the dump.
“I thought Mariana did a good job today, that's one of the reasons we went to the 5-1,” said Bulls head coach Claire Lessinger. “I thought Marcela, based on the situation tonight, put up quite a fight. To have 23 kills on 52 attempts is pretty impressive considering their block was committing on her. She was up against a double (block) all night long, and I thought she showed tremendous fight.”
Gurgel came out firing on all cylinders and paced the Bulls with six kills and a .559 hitting percentage in game one, but it wasn't enough to overcome the attack of the Irish. Sophomore Serenity Phillips and junior Justine Stremick registered seven and eight kills respectively, as they lead Notre Dame (11-12, 7-5 BIG EAST) to a .310 percentage as a team. With the game tied at 22, four straight UND kills and a Bulls hitting error pulled the Irish to a 27-22 advantage they wouldn't relinquish. The Bulls did establish a defensive presence at the net, outblocking Notre Dame 4-2.
Game two saw the Bulls rally behind the right arm of Gurgel, who posted seven kills as well as three digs. It was also an outstanding frame for Thon, who chipped in with five digs and three kills to go with 13 assists. The Irish found success through sophomore outside hitter/opposite Megan Fesl, who killed six balls against just one error on nine attacks for a .556 hitting percentage. The sides were tied at 19, but Notre Dame picked up seven of the next eight points via four kills, a block solo from Fesl, and two Bulls hitting errors to pull away to a 26-20 lead.
A better Bulls team took the floor in game three, and it showed in the score line. Gurgel turned in her best frame of the match with six kills against no errors, and three aces to add to her BIG EAST lead in the category, including two to finish the game. Her 9.5 points was the best in a single game for any Bull this road trip, and last year's first team All-Conference performer posted three digs as well. Despite falling behind 4-0 coming back from the locker room, the Bulls reeled off the next six points and never looked back. Ten consecutive side outs were the key as the Bulls finished with a 30-21 result. Six different Bulls found the Notre Dame side of the floor with kills, including five for the senior Fabris. It would also be the only game the Bulls would outhit Notre Dame, with a .317 performance as a team against a .178 mark for the Irish.
Game four would see the tables turn in the opposite direction however, as Notre Dame found five different attackers for multiple kills to pull away. At 17-15 the contest was still in doubt, but another seven of eight point run for the Irish put the match out of distance. The Irish also found their game at the net as well, outblocking the Bulls 5-3 in the penultimate period.
The Bulls will look to lock up their seat in the BIG EAST Conference Tournament when they take on UConn on Friday, November 9th at 7 p.m. in The Corral, which has also been designated as Parent's Night. For ticket information, call 1-800-GoBulls.
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