Janie Alderete Hometown: Santa Clara, CA High School: Archbishop Mitty Height: 5-2 Position: Defensive Specialist Birthdate: 04/18/1981

AS A SENIOR: Senior tri-captain along with classmate Keara Coughlin and junior Kristen Kinder ... one of the first Irish volleyball players to appear at libero, as the position debuted in 2002 ... appeared in all 32 matches during the year and played in 97 games, including five starts at libero... began the season in fine form, posting double-digit dig performances in the first four matches of the season ... led the team with 19 digs in the second match of the season against Cincinnati … ended up with a season-high 20 digs in Notre Dame’s 3-2 victory over #10 Pepperdine in the championship game of the Golden Dome Invitational … also had 19 digs against Michigan and 15 against St. John’s … completed the season with 13 double-digit dig matches, the most of her career.

AS A JUNIOR: One of three players to appear in all 103 games and 29 matches during the 2001 season ... started three of 29 matches at defensive specialist ... posted 12 double-digit dig matches ... had at least five digs in Notre Dame’s last 13 matches ... starred during the marathon five-game match against Illinois State in the Joyce Center, digging a career-best 26 attacks ... dug 19 balls in Notre Dame’s three-game loss to #15 Pepperdine at the U.S. Bank/Arby’s Touranment in Lincoln, Neb. ... enjoyed her second consecutive match against Connecticut with 18 digs on Oct. 7 (also had 18 digs against UConn in 2000 – her previous career-best output) ... continued to perform well against the Huskies in the BIG EAST Championship, getting 16 digs in the semifinal match against Connecticut ... tied a career-high with four aces twice during the season.

AS A SOPHOMORE: Played in 92 of the team’s 113 games played in 2000, including 27 starts at defensive specialist ... posted five double-digit dig matches over the course of the season ... named the “Best Defensive Specialist” in the Lady Seminole Classic Tournament ... had nine digs in the Irish win over #22 Loyola Marymount ... notched 18 digs in the Notre Dame five-game victory at Connecticut ... tallied 18 digs in two BIG EAST championship matches vs. Rutgers and Connecticut ... had five digs, three assists and two aces at #3 USC ... stepped up in the 2000 NCAA Tournament first round match against Cincinnati at Ohio State, contributing 10 digs and three aces in the 3-0 Irish victory ... followed up with 13 digs in the NCAA Tournament second-round loss to Ohio State.

AS A FRESHMAN: Played in 26 of the team’s 29 matches and in 65 of the team’s 98 games in ’99 ... started in four matches, including two at the Community Bankers Classic in Stockton, Calif. ... tallied an ace in six of the last seven matches ... had seven digs and an ace in the team’s three-game win over Washington State ... had eight digs in the BIG EAST semifinal with Connecticut ... had two aces in Notre Dame’s regular-season victory over Georgetown ... started in her first collegiate match against Miami, with an assist, an ace, and five digs ... had five digs in three games against Kentucky ... had six digs and an assist against Northwestern in three games ... saw action in two games of her first collegiate match versus Valparaiso, tallying two aces and five digs.

PREP & PERSONAL: Earned three letters in volleyball as a defensive specialist at Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, Calif. ... team captain and all-conference selection as a senior ... team went undefeated her freshman through junior seasons, while earning four straight Blossom Valley Athletic League titles ... helped to extend Archbishop Mitty’s string of Central Coast Section (CCS) championships to 10 straight ... led the team in digs with 15 and had six aces to lead Mitty to the CIF-Northern Section championship as a junior ... team was state runner-up in 1997, state semifinalist in 1998 and earned a national ranking from 1996-1998 ... received team’s coach’s award as a senior ... also earned two letters in both soccer and track ... member of the National Honor Society ... father, David (UC Berkeley), and brother, Jimmy (UC Santa Barbara), both played collegiate baseball ... born April 18, 1981, in San Jose, Calif. ... full name is Janie Fitch Alderete ... daughter of David and Connie Alderete ... graduated in May of 2003 from the Mendoza College of Business