Volleyball starts their season off at home with the Golden Dome Invitational. The No. 25 seeded Irish will take on No. 16 Western Kentucky, Oakland and Loyola Chicago as they seek to start their season off with a streak of victories.
2020 proved to be a fruitful season for the team, marking the first time since 2005 that they were featured on the AVCA Coaches Poll (No. 24). Notre Dame also secured their first NCAA Tournament spot in four seasons after finishing 15-4 overall. Within this record, the Irish went 7-1 at home, establishing their dominance under the Dome before they take on a fresh set of competitors this weekend.
Players on the squad are heading into the season already having received All-ACC Accolades. Senior outside hitter Charley Niego and senior setter Zoe Nunez were both named to the Preseason All-ACC Volleyball team, in addition to receiving First Team All-ACC honors.
Nunez ended 2020 having started all 19 matches, posting 753 assists and 71 sets. She also made Irish history as the seventh player to reach the 3,000 assist mark. Niego led the team with 244 kills and performed 179 digs
Niego also secured an Honorable Mention AVCA All-American nomination for the second time. The pair will have to carry this momentum into the season opener to help the Irish with strong performances against formidable opponents.
The first game of the invitational will start at 7 p.m. on Friday at Purcell Pavilion where the Irish will take on No. 16 Western Kentucky. The next two games against Oakland and Loyola Chicago will be played at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, respectively.
Watch all of the matches this weekend on ACC Network Extra.
