Gouher Women's Volleyball Takes Match Against Notre Dame, 3-1

BALTIMORE, Md. – Bianca Brown (North Brunswick, N.J./North Brunswick Township) had six kills including two in a 6-1 run to close the fourth set to help Goucher College to a 3-1 win against Notre Dame in non-conference women's volleyball action on Friday.

Just like the first three sets, the fourth set went down to the wire. Notre Dame held a 23-20 lead only to see the Gophers close out the set and the match with a 6-1 run. Brown capped a 4-0 run with a kill and then ended the match with a kill to close out a 26-24 fourth set and a 3-1 season-opening victory.

Cat Hartley (Colorado Springs, Colo./Cheyenne Mountain) added 24 digs while Kaya Melchor (Mililani, Hawaii/Kamehameha Schools Kapalama) narrowly missed a double-double with 19 digs and eight kills. Virginia Estes (Homewood, Ala./Homewood) added 15 digs. Tes DeJaeger (Norwalk, Conn./Brien McMahon) registered 16 assists and six digs and Vendela Lundgren (Columbia, Md./Howard) added 12 assists. Rachel Chapman (Rochester, N.Y./Churchville Chili) added a team-high 10 kills in the winning effort. 

In the first set with the score tied at 14, the Gophers used an 11-5 run to secure the opening set 25-19. Chapman had three kills and a block to help close out the set.

Goucher had the second set slip away after leading 24-21. Notre Dame scored the final five points to tie the match at one set apiece.

The third set was another battle, but with the score tied at 22 the Gophers won the next two points courtesy of Gators attack errors. Freshman Trinity Collier (Cockeysville, Md./Dulaney) closed out the set with a kill to give Goucher a 2-1 set lead in the battle of Baltimore.

Chapman, Collier, Lundgren, Lia Fukuda (Santa Fe, N.M./Monte del Sol Charter) and  Nicole Kovach (New York, N.Y./Quest to Learn) all made their collegiate debuts in the match to help head coach Kathy Frankowski earn the win in her Gophers coaching debut.

Goucher, who opened the season with a win for the first time since the 2014 season, returns to action on Saturday at home against Penn State Brandywine. Match time is 1 p.m.