Sept. 9, 2000
NOTRE DAME, IN - The UCLA women's volleyball team downed host Notre Dame on Saturday night with game scores of 15-7, 15-7, 17-15. UCLA improves to 5-2 on the season, while Notre Dame is now 3-2. The third-ranked Bruins will face off against No. 4 Nebraska on Sunday afternoon to determine the adidas Invitational team championship.
In the first game of the match, UCLA stormed out to a 4-0 lead with Elisabeth Bachman notching four kills on the first six rallies of the match. Notre Dame recovered on the service of Kristy Kreher, tying the match at 5-5. From there, the Bruins recovered after a UCLA timeout and took control of the game from that point. UCLA opened leads of 8-5, 10-6, and ended the game with a 15-7 score on a kill by Kristee Porter, her sixth of the game.
Game two started out as more of the same for the Bruins. UCLA opened with an 8-1 lead, primarily because the team's unforced errors were held to a minimum. The Bruins did not have a service error in the game until the 8-4 mark, near the end of a Notre Dame rally that brought the Irish to within 8-6. Sophomore Lauren Fendrick notched two consecutive service aces followed by a Kristee Porter kill to give UCLA an 11-6 lead in the second game. The Bruins would close out the 15-7 game two win with a service ace by senior co-captiain Michelle Quon and two consecutive kills by Porter.
The Irish came out of the locker rooms on a hot streak, dashing out to a 9-3 lead before the Bruins called a timeout. UCLA scrapped back from that point, edging to within 13-8. Notre Dame served twice at match point (14-8) before Porter notched her 22nd kill of the match and stepped back to the service line. UCLA then scored three consecutive points, including a service ace by Porter before Notre Dame earned a sideout after a timeout, their second of the game. Stacey Lee was next to serve, and she immediately notched an ace to close the gap to 14-12. An Irish hitting error and a kill by Krystal McFarland followed to tie the score at 14-14. McFarland then stepped back to serve. Another Notre Dame hitting error gave UCLA match point, but the Bruins were unable to capitalize on two opportunities, and the Irish climbed back to another tie, this time at 15-15.
UCLA spent its final timeout of the game at that point, with Kreher back to serve. The Bruins earned a sideout on a hitting error by Kreher on the following rally, bringing Michelle Quon back to serve. A kill by Cira Wright brought UCLA its third match point, and the Bruins capitalized on the opportunity as Porter posted her 23rd kill of the match to end it with a 17-15 game three win.
Porter finished with a match-high 23 kills while two other Bruins, Bachman and Ashley Bowles checked in with 10 kills apiece. Porter and setter Erika Selsor tied with a match-high 12 digs apiece. Wright was the only Bruin with multiple blocks, posting two assists.
UCLA will conclude its adidas Invitational competition on Sunday afternoon in South Bend, when the No. 3 Bruins take on the fourth-ranked Cornhuskers of Nebraska. Match time is set for 10:30 a.m. Pacific Time. Following Sunday's match, the Bruins head back to Los Angeles, and will open their home and Pac-10 schedule on Thursday, Sept. 14, with a match against the Washington Huskies. Match time on Thursday is set for 7 p.m. PT.