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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com SEPT. 11, 2017 49 ND SPORTS BY DAVID MCKINNEY T he expectations couldn't be much higher for the Notre Dame wom- en's cross country team heading into the 2017 season. The Irish, who placed three runners among the top 10 finishers at the 2016 ACC Champi- onships, entered the fall ranked No. 8 in the country. Associate head coach Matt Sparks said the experience the Irish are car- rying into the season should be a huge help to the team. "It's a very veteran group on the women's side with basically six of our top seven returning," Sparks said. "There's not a lot of question marks. The only question mark is, 'Are we going to stay healthy?'" One concern for Sparks and the rest of the team is the health of junior Anna Rohrer, the ACC champion and an All-American in 2016 who was dinged up near the end of the track season. Should she be able to stay healthy, Sparks said there is no ceil- ing for the Mishawaka, Ind., native in 2017. "She's accumulated quite a few All-American certificates in her first two years here," he said. "The next step is, 'What do we need to do to become a national champion?' She's put herself in those positions. She's taken leads and she's pushed for the win, but she's just come up a little bit short." According to Sparks, this offsea- son has been a little bit different for Rohrer. The Irish captain and the coaches around her have been ex- perimenting with tactics and trying to find the best path to success. "We're trying to do some things a little bit different and put some more miles on her body," Sparks said. "Staying healthy season after season is going to allow her to grow as an athlete." Rohrer will be the favorite in al- most every race she enters and cer- tainly is expected to be the leader on a veteran Irish squad, but Sparks pointed out one freshman that is also expected to be a major contributor. "The one newcomer we expect to step in contribute is Anna Sophia Keller," he said. "She's a freshman that was a blue-chip recruit signee for us." According to Sparks, Keller's expe- rience at the high school level, which included multiple Illinois state titles and national meet appearances, has her more than prepared to see time on the course early in her Notre Dame career. "She's got a lot of big meet experi- ence," Sparks said. "She's competed on the national level, so she's com- fortable in pressure situations. That's why she chose to come here. "She wanted to be a part of a team challenging for a national champion- ship." ✦ Irish Roundup MEN'S SOCCER (2-0-0) No. 9-ranked Notre Dame started the season by capturing its eighth Mike Berticelli Memorial Tourna- ment championship. The Irish opened with a 2-0 win over visiting San Diego Aug. 25 and followed it up with a 2-1 victory over Cal Poly in double overtime Aug. 27. Conference play will start when the Irish travel to Boston College Sept. 8. WOMEN'S SOCCER (2-0-2) The No. 24 Fighting Irish opened the season with a 0-0 draw at home against Butler Aug. 18, then defeated Ball State 4-0 Aug. 20. After a 1-1 tie against Minnesota Aug. 25, they blanked Iowa 2-0 on the road Aug. 27. ACC play will kick off Sept. 16, when Notre Dame heads to Clemson. VOLLEYBALL (3-0) Notre Dame started the season by hosting and winning the Golden Dome Invitational. The Irish began with a 3-1 win over Valparaiso Aug. 25. The next day, they posted wins against Rhode Island (3-0) and New Mexico State (3-1). The ACC season begins for Notre Dame at Louisville Sept. 22. — David McKinney Junior Ann Rohrer, the ACC cross country champion and an All-American in 2016, will lead the way for a veteran Irish team this fall. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME MEDIA RELATIONS Women's Cross Country Enters Season With High Expectations