Printer-Friendly Format     E-mail this article

Event a success for team, local community.

Oct. 10, 2007

NOTRE DAME, Ind. - In last Saturday's 3-0 win over Rutgers, the University of Notre Dame volleyball did more than just pick up its third BIG EAST Conference win of the season. The team picked up the spirits and hopes of fans, friends, and family by raising $5,900 for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure grassroots network of Northern Indiana in its first-annual Dig for the Cure match, with the total amount going towards breast cancer research.

"The Dig for the Cure was a wonderful event for us, and I hope we got the annual match off to a great start," said Irish head coach Debbie Brown. "We've already thought of ways to make the entire experience better in hopes of raising even more money next season."

Fans were challenged to equal or exceed Brown's pledge of $5 for each of her team's digs in the match. The Irish defense scooped 39 digs in the three-game tilt to produce $1,848 in donations.

Commemorative jerseys with pink lettering worn by the team during the conference showdown were donated by adidas. The jerseys were then auctioned off to yield a total of $2,125, with the top earner bringing in $250.

A trio of Dig for the Cure t-shirts autographed by the team were auctioned off during intermission, with each going for $200.

"I was impressed with the number of people that bid on jerseys, bought t-shirts, and donated money by sponsoring digs," added Brown. "This was a great starting point for us to build on in years to come."

Notre Dame is scheduled to take on Marquette (Oct. 12) and Syracuse (Oct. 14) in a pair of conference road matches this weekend.

--ND--