Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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ND SPORTS there, he wants to add more excitement to the team's home course to make it more friendly for spectators. Turner also wants to crank up the intensity on the recruiting trail, seeking out the top athletes in the country to try to get them to Notre Dame. He had success bringing in high‑caliber sprint‑ ers as head of that division of the team during the past couple years. He hopes he can translate some of those results into similar recruiting classes for the distance program and the jumpers in future years. Notre Dame opens the cross country season this season Sept. 5 in Valparaiso, Ind., before hosting two meets on the South Bend campus in the month that follows. VOLLEYBALL WELCOMES BIG FRESHMAN CLASS Six rookies joined the 15‑person ros‑ ter for Notre Dame volleyball this sea‑ son. At least a few of those freshmen will have a chance to help the team rebound from a rocky first season in the ACC. The Irish finished 13‑18 overall and 7‑13 against conference opponents last year, when they jumped from the Big East to the ACC. The good news is that despite a very young roster, the top three point scorers from the 2013 squad all return. Head coach Debbie Brown said she expects seniors Toni Alugbue, Jeni Houser and fifth‑year senior Nicole Smith to be the team's top contributors again this season. They'll be joined by a half‑dozen freshmen pushing veterans for playing time. "If you watched the team you wouldn't be able to tell who were the freshmen and who were the upper‑ classmen," Brown said after the first week of practice. "They are stepping up and making big plays. "We have maybe two to three fresh‑ men that are going to get significant playing time." The Irish fared fairly well on their home court last season, but won only two of 12 away matches. Brown said performing on the road in a tough volleyball conference will determine whether this year's team takes a sig‑ nificant step forward. She said the group should be able to finish in the top three in the conference this year, which would all but guarantee them a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Brown and company start the season at the ACC/Big Ten Challenge dur‑ ing the final weekend of August where they will play Minnesota and Wiscon‑ sin. ✦ Turner said his goal for both the men's and wom‑ en's cross country teams during his first sea‑ son in charge is a top‑20 finish at the NCAA Championships. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME MEDIA RELATIONS