SOUTH BEND, IND. – Morgan Gaerte, coming off back-to-back 20+ kill performances at last weekend’s Catholic Challenge, outdid herself Friday night inside Purcell Pavilion. The sophomore from Angola, Indiana registered a school-record 34 kills during the five set clash against Illinois.
Gaerte broke Kathy Cunningham’s record of 33 kills back on September 18, 1987 against William & Mary. The record had stood for over 37 years.
She became just the third player in Irish history to have three consecutive 20+ kill games and has the most kills (75) through the first three games of a season in program history.
Gaerte finished the night with the record-breaking 34 kills on a .466 hitting percentage to go along with six digs and five blocks (one solo). She accumulated 37.0 total points on the night.
One for the record books
Morgan stands alone at the top#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/UetssSMQWc
— Notre Dame Volleyball (@NDvolleyball) September 6, 2025
The game however went to Illini, who battled back from a deficit to win the match in five sets. With the loss, Notre Dame drops to 1-2 on the season with all three matches going the full five sets to begin the 2025 campaign.
Harmony Sample (20) and Maya Baker (24) both dished out 20+ assists for a second-straight game. Sydney Helmers racked up four service aces to go along with nine kills and 10 digs.
Notre Dame will look to bounce back on Tuesday when the Irish welcome LSU to town for the ‘Showdown at the Net’. First serve is set for 6:30 p.m. Admission to all regular season matches is free and the first 600 fans in attendance will receive a free green LED foam stick.