Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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78 PRESEASON 2025 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY TODD D. BURLAGE B lame it on injuries, illness, tough breaks, bad luck or just an unex- pected downturn, but outside of wom- en's soccer last year, the collective 2024 Olympic fall sports season had to be considered a disappointment by Notre Dame standards. Illness disrupted the Irish women's cross country postseason and dropped Notre Dame to a No. 16 finish at the NCAA Championships, after it had won the ACC title three weeks earlier. Men's cross country placed 10th na- tionally — a respectable finish — but on the low end of expectations for this proud program. Meanwhile, the Irish men's soccer team failed to make the NCAA Tourna- ment just one season after advancing to the title game and finishing as national runner-up in 2023. These are just a few of the disappoint- ments these reliable programs suffered through last year as they try to reload, regroup, improve and rebound when the 2025 season begins this month. Following is a preview of the five Olympic fall sports programs at Notre Dame: men's and women's cross coun- try; men's and women's soccer; and volleyball. MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY Season Opener: Winrow-Valparaiso Open Aug. 29 at Valparaiso, Ind. ACC Predicted Finish: Top 3 NCAA Best-Case Scenario: Top 10 Coach's Expectations: Notre Dame director of men's and women's cross country Matt Sparks calls himself a creature of habit because of the similar way in which he builds his roster and paces his program every year. Gradual improvement be- fore the postseason is the goal, and expectations always run high. "As a program, one of our goals that we have every year is top 10 in the country, and to contend for ACC Championships," Sparks said. "And I think that we're in great shape to do both." Senior Izaiah Steury returns after earning All- America honors last season and pacing the Irish at the 2024 NCAA Championships. Senior Ethan Cole- man is also back after finishing 46th in the national title race last year. Also, the Irish add accomplished graduate transfer Dylan Throop to the team. "We're set up very well to have a great season," Sparks said. Top Runner: Senior Izaiah Steury looks to im- prove on his All-America season from a year ago when he finished 24th nationally. Athlete To Watch: Throop is a graduate trans- fer from Penn who was an All-American last year when he finished 27th at the NCAA Champion- ships. Don't Miss: After a mediocre sixth-place finish at the ACC Championships last season, the Irish will look to return to their familiar place among the league's top three Oct. 31 in Louisville, Ky. WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY Season Opener: Winrow-Valparaiso Open Aug. 29 at Valparaiso, Ind. ACC Predicted Finish: Top 3 NCAA Best-Case Scenario: Top 10 Coach's Expectations: As mentioned above, an ill-timed illness that moved through the Irish women's team last November kept the squad from even traveling together, and then led to a disap- pointing 16th-place national finish. But with a blend of talented veterans and upstart youngsters to work with this season, Sparks believes return- ing his program to elite ACC and NCAA status is a realistic goal. Graduate students Siona Chisholm and Sophie Novak will be the veteran leaders on the team. Meanwhile, sophomores Mary Bonner Dalton and Isabel Allori are two of several younger run- ners who Sparks believes are ready for breakout seasons. "And while uncertainty isn't usually what you are looking for as a coach," Sparks said, "there is so much talent here that the uncertainty is actually exciting to see who's going to respond." Top Player: With an 81st-place finish last season at the NCAA Championships, Chisholm is the top returning runner for Notre Dame. Athlete To Watch: Rated one of the world's top 30 steeplechase competitors, graduate Sophie No- vak hopes to bring similar success to cross country. Don't Miss: Notre Dame will look to defend its conference title with a new-look roster at the ACC Championship Oct. 31 in Louisville, Ky. Fighting Irish Fall Teams Looking To Rebound N O T R E D A M E S P O R T S Senior Izaiah Steury returns after earning All- America honors last season and pacing the Irish men's cross country team at the 2024 NCAA Championships. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS Men's soccer junior midfielder Nolan Spicer played in all 17 games last season. He finished third on the team with 3 goals and was fourth in overall scoring with 8 points. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS