By Scott Taylor | @Taylor_Sports
Consistency has been a key theme for Notre Dame so far this season.
A recent match against Benet showed the issues the Dons have had with being consistent in a 25-20, 25-14 loss.
“The energy is something we’ve been working on,” Notre Dame coach Patrick Cole said. “We’re a great team when we play with energy and positivity. We just have to work on sustaining that for an entire match.”
In that match the Dons led 9-5 in the first set and only trailed 19-17 late in the set before falling.
In the second set, they were tied 3-3 before falling behind 8-3. They came back to make it 11-10, but eight of nine points put the match away for the Redwings as the Dons had a hard time knowing where the ball was going after the set.
“The size is one thing, but the setter is what got us,” Cole said. “He distributed the ball in such an efficient and unbelievable fashion. You don’t go up against setters like that every game.”
Despite the loss, the Dons have been stronger this year than last year.
“We’ve been better than last year and every day we are getting better,” Cole said. “We’ve been working on some things and we’re on track to where we want to be. We want to be competitive.”
One thing Cole would like to see an improvement in is senior leadership.
“The senior leadership needs to step up a little bit more,” Cole said. “They are doing a great job but there is always room for improvement. The younger guys continue to develop and are doing what they need to do.”
Overall, Cole likes the guys he has on his team.
“I like the character of this team,” Cole said. “These guys play hard and bring their best every day. They don’t cut corners.”