Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM SEPT. 12, 2026 49 BY TODD D. BURLAGE W ith two separate college stops made, Notre Dame senior Sydney Helmers has already gained a unique perspective while reaching and chasing goals in both sports and scholastics. An All-Kentucky honoree out of He- bron Assumption High School in both volleyball and academics, this former AAU All-American decided to play her college volleyball at Texas. A beneficiary of good timing, Helm- ers won a national championship with the Longhorns as a freshman in 2023 and spent another year in Austin before transferring to Notre Dame before the 2025 season. "I won a national championship at Texas, which was awesome and amazing," Helmers shared. "And now, I'm winning a national championship in academics at Notre Dame. That's how I look at it." Ironically, Helmers — who never appeared in a match during her two seasons at Texas — said that her final college choice out of high school came down to Texas and Notre Dame after visiting both campuses, so relocating to South Bend wasn't a huge culture shock. "And think about it, who really gets a second chance to go to the University of Notre Dame? It's hard enough to get one chance," Helmers added. "I just loved the culture [at Notre Dame], the fun and positive energy, the welcoming culture, and the want and willingness to suc- ceed, just in life in general." With a year in the Irish program under her belt, this gifted 6-foot-4 outside hit- ter explained how she entered this sea- son feeling more confident in her role as a team leader, and the team feels more confident to make another jump under fifth-year head coach Salima Rockwell. Notre Dame improved to 9-11 in ACC play last season after finishing only 5-15 in 2024, but still let many opportuni- ties slip away. The Irish lost five five- game matches in 2025, with one of those coming against ACC champion and NCAA Final Four participant Pitt. "I feel like we had some unfinished business last year," Helmers said. "And we're really excited to get after it and come out on the winning end of some of those tough losses." Which means finding a way to finish winnable matches in the toughest vol- leyball conference in the country tops the priority list this season. "I feel like we're bringing in more ex- perience and grit," Helmers added. "That mentality change that I've noticed from last year to this year is really important to us, and we've put a big emphasis on fin- ishing out matches, instead of just wait- ing for the opponent to make an error, but making sure that we're handling our own business like we need to." And while Helmers never enjoyed any live game action during her two seasons at Texas, she became a solid contributor for the Irish the moment she stepped on campus. Helmers started from Day 1 last sea- son and proved equally valuable digging against some of the nation's best hitters as she did while showing her ability to score at the net, recording 229 kills, 157 digs, 36 blocks and 25 service aces. Also a 2025 All-ACC Academic Team honoree, Helmers is studying sociology and will have earned her Notre Dame degree in hand next spring. But with another year of college eli- gibility remaining, Helmers faces a de- cision on whether to return to school in 2027, join the working world or play professionally. And to nobody's sur- prise, Helmers isn't quite ready to give up the game she loves until she has to. "After school I definitely want to try and play professionally," Helmers said, mentioning the Major League Volleyball (MLV) or League One Volleyball (LOVB Pro) circuits as her two preferred land- ing spots. Whatever Helmer's future delivers, her balance of sport and school — and her relocation to Notre Dame — will certainly serve her well. "It's been amazing," she said. "Notre Dame brings a great opportunity for me volleyball-wise not just to showcase what I have, but to build connections with life after Notre Dame and to build the friendships and connections I'll keep for a lifetime." ✦ Irish Roundup CROSS COUNTRY The women's squad, which claimed the pro- gram's first ACC championship in 2024, was slotted second in the ACC Cross Country Pre- season Coaches Poll, 19 points behind defend- ing national champion North Carolina State … The men's team was listed third in the poll, 35 points behind a two-way tie for first (Syracuse and Wake Forest). MEN'S SOCCER (1-1-2 OVERALL) Opened the season with a 3-1 loss at No. 22-ranked Indiana Aug. 20 … Played Northwestern to a 1-1 draw in their home opener Aug. 23 … Tied No. 8 Saint Louis 1-1 in South Bend Aug. 28 … Defeated Harvard 3-1 Aug. 31 in South Bend … Hosted Michigan Sept. 6 in Alumni Stadium. WOMEN'S SOCCER (1-0-5 OVERALL) Started the 2026 campaign with a 0-0 tie against Samford Aug. 12 in South Bend … Played Penn State to a 2-2 draw Aug. 16 in Alumni Stadium … Notched a 1-1 tie at Ne- braska Aug. 20 … Blanked Murray State 3-0 Aug. 23 in South Bend … Tied Michigan 1-1 at Ann Arbor Aug. 27 … Tied Michigan State 2-2 Sept. 3 in South Bend … Hosted IU Indy Sept. 6 in Alumni Stadium. VOLLEYBALL (0-2 OVERALL) Began the season with a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Ball State Aug. 28 and a 3-1 loss to Xavier Aug. 20, with both matches at Purcell Pavilion … Played at Toledo Sept. 5. Change Of Scenery Is Serving Sydney Helmers Well N O T R E D A M E S P O R T S Last season, Helmers recorded 229 kills, 157 digs, 36 blocks and 25 service aces, while also earning All-ACC Academic Team recognition. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS