ND sweeps Indians in volleyball battle

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Notre Dame's Meghan Dohogne had to make an adjustment coming into her senior year.

She had to learn to play the back row after playing the front for the previous two years.

On Wednesday night, it was evident she can do both.

Dohogne helped lead the state-ranked Bulldogs volleyball team past St. Vincent 25-12, 25-16.

"She was awesome," Notre Dame coach Tara Stroup said. "She plays all the way around. She's really been working a lot on the offseason and preseason on her back-row play. Last year and the year before she only played in the front, so she's been serving this year and playing in the back and doing a really good job all the way around."

St. Vincent's Megan Sutterer tries to block a shot by Notre Dame's Allyson Bradshaw during the first game Wednesday.

The Bulldogs (16-1) jumped out to an early lead in the first game, using a 6-1 run to build a 10-4 advantage.

After a timeout by St. Vincent, Notre Dame continued to pour it on.

The Bulldogs, ranked No. 3 in the latest Class 3 state poll, took control of the game when they bolted to a 16-6 lead.

"We haven't played in a really long time, so we were ready to get out," Dohogne said. "We knew they're always scrappy, so if we beat them early, it helps."

A second timeout by the Indians helped spark a comeback.

St. Vincent used a 6-1 run to narrow the score to 17-12.

"Any time the girls get in a rut, we always tell them to have confidence," Indians coach Mindy House said. "The leaders, the captains out on the court, they just tell everybody to keep working hard and don't give up and keep talking."

The Indians' rally was short-lived as Notre Dame closed the game with an 8-0 run.

The Bulldogs blocked numerous shots at the net to help control the first game.

"Couple things we have to work on is the blocking and covering," House said. "Right now, we're going through a transitioning stage. The girls have seen a lot of volleyball, they work hard and one thing is they never give up. They continue to work hard. There are just a few things we have to work on."

Stroup credited her team's blocking for its success this season.

"That's one of the things we've been doing pretty well this year," she said. "Both Lindsay [Strieker] and Meghan [Dohogne], both our middle blockers, have done a really good job at the net with the blocking."

Notre Dame continued its run at the start of the second game, jumping out to a 4-0 lead, which quickly ballooned to 10-2.

"It's important if we get on a run like that to keep it as long as we can," Stroup said. "It's such a game of momentum."

The Indians refused to go down without a fight.

A 4-0 run by St. Vincent brought the score to 11-7, but the Bulldogs wouldn't let them get any closer. Notre Dame closed out the match with a 6-2 run.

"They always have a good team, so it was a good win," Dohogne said.

Dohogne had four kills, a team-high seven digs and added three blocks for Notre Dame. Strieker added four kills and five blocks, while Shannon Brennan tallied 13 assists.

The Indians were led by Monika Smith with three blocks, while Amanda Steinbecker added 10 assists and Megan Sutterer tallied four kills.