Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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48 SEPT. 13, 2025 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY TODD D. BURLAGE L ucy Trump found herself in an un- certain and uncomfortable situation in December 2021, just a few months before she was set to enroll at Notre Dame and become a freshman member of the Fighting Irish volleyball team. Following a disappointing 13-15 sea- son in 2021, Notre Dame head coach Mike Johnson was fired, the entire pro- gram was left in limbo, and some tough choices needed to be weighed during an exhaustive coaching search that lasted almost two months. Should Trump keep her commitment to Notre Dame? Or, as one of the top recruits in the country, should this four-time all-state player out of Florence (Ky.) Larry A. Ryle High School take her talents elsewhere? Love of university won out over coach- ing uncertainty, and the gifted outside hitter stayed. And now, as one of five Irish seniors who stuck it out, Trump couldn't be happier with her time on campus, playing under Irish head coach Salima Rockwell, who was hired in Janu- ary 2022 to rebuild this proud program. "We've just been able to see this pro- gram develop since our freshman season, when we kinda started at the bottom," Trump shared. "And now, I feel like since we're finally seniors, and I'm finally a senior, we're kind of at this tipping point now, and we're really excited to see where this team can go this season." A prep All-American and the No. 35 re- cruit in the country from the class of 2022, Trump became an important cog for the Irish the moment she stepped on campus. She tallied 135 kills, 95 digs and 47 blocks, and she was second on the team with 28 service aces as a junior last season. But there is still one line item missing from her Notre Dame résumé. "We're all so eager to finally make it to the NCAA Tournament this season, and it's a goal we can actually reach," said Trump, who would love to cap her career with a postseason appearance. "We've all been itching to take this next step. We're all so eager and we're all so invested." Blessed with great lineage, Trump was such a highly coveted high school player, colleges began recruiting her in the seventh grade. Trump's grandfather played volley- ball at Ball State and became an All- American there. Her aunt and her older sister both played in college, as did her mother, Jessica, who played at Lee University in Tennessee, and her father Rob Trump, who was a soccer star at Lee, while he also moonlighted as a club volleyball player there. Lee University is where her mother and father met. "Dad has always been there just to support me through everything," Trump said, "but also push me to do my best." Of course, any story on Lucy Trump would be incomplete without asking the question on everybody's mind. "No, I'm not related to President Trump," she said with a laugh. "Obvi- ously, he's been a famous figure for a long time, so even back before his pres- idency, I was constantly being asked that, but especially now." ✦ Irish Roundup CROSS COUNTRY The women's team was slotted at No. 2 in the ACC's preseason poll, just seven points behind North Carolina State … The men were tied for fourth with North Carolina in their ACC preseason poll, with Wake Forest, Virginia and Stanford taking the top three spots … Both squads opened the season with the Winrow Valparaiso Open Aug. 29 in Valparaiso, Ind. MEN'S SOCCER (1-0-2 OVERALL, 0-0-0 ACC) Opened the season with a pair of ties, playing to a 1-1 draw at Michigan Aug. 21 and a 0-0 deadlock versus IU Indianapolis Aug. 24 at Alumni Stadium … Defeated Oregon State 1-0 Aug. 28 at Alumni Sta- dium … Picked to finish 10th in the ACC's preseason poll. WOMEN'S SOCCER (3-0-1 OVERALL, 0-0-0 ACC) Began the season with a 2-1 home win over Western Michigan Aug. 14 … Played No. 6 Arkansas to a 2-2 draw Aug. 17 in Fayetteville, Ark. … Blanked Cincinnati 4-0 Aug. 21 in Alumni Stadium … Knocked off Michigan 3-0 Aug. 28 at Alumni Stadium … Started the 2025 campaign as the No. 2 team in the country in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason poll and dropped to No. 7 after the tie at Arkansas … Also tabbed No. 2 in the ACC's preseason poll. VOLLEYBALL (0-0-0 OVERALL, 0-0-0 ACC) Opened the season with the Catholic Challenge in South Bend, facing Santa Clara Aug. 29 and Vil- lanova Aug. 31 … Slotted in at No. 12 in the ACC's preseason poll. It Is Postseason Or Bust For Volleyball's Lucy Trump N O T R E D A M E S P O R T S Trump, one of five Irish seniors that arrived in 2022 as part of head coach Salima Rockwell's rebuild, said: "We're all so eager to finally make it to the NCAA Tournament this season, and it's a goal we can actually reach." PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS