For the first time since 2020, Notre Dame volleyball has a 2-0 start under its belt. On Saturday, the Irish defeated both Villanova and Santa Clara, becoming the 2024 Catholic Challenge Champions. The weekend of volleyball took place in the Leavey Center in Santa Clara, California, beginning a five-game Irish stint away from home.
Fabulous first set leads off crisp takedown of Villanova
Notre Dame didn’t need much time to exert its dominance over the Villanova Wildcats for a second consecutive season. Although Villanova claimed a 3-2 lead early, the Irish broke the first set open with a 12-0 scoring run. The streak featured three of senior setter Phyona Schrader’s four service aces and left Notre Dame up 14-3. The Irish would keep rolling to clean up the set, as freshman outside hitter Mia Radeff clinched a 25-6 victory with her first collegiate kill.
Villanova played closer in set two, improving drastically on a first-set hitting percentage of -.167. At one point, the Campbell McKinnon-led Wildcats moved into a 12-9 lead, forcing a timeout from Notre Dame head coach Salima Rockwell. Coming out of the break, the Irish would seize 11 of the next 12 points, building up a hefty advantage of 20-13. Villanova hung around late in the set but made a set-point service error that wrapped up a 25-19 Irish win. All-ACC senior outside hitter Sydney Palazzolo, who went without a kill in set one, sparked Notre Dame with four kills and two service aces in the second set.
Palazzolo would deliver again in set three, notching four kills to match Schrader’s team-high at eight for the game. The two helped Notre Dame get the best of a 25-22 third set that was tied as late as a 20-20 score. Junior outside hitter Lucy Trump, one of three Irish players with exactly six kills in the game, stepped up with a kill to break the 20-20 tie. She and Notre Dame totaled a hitting percentage of .206 to sweep Villanova in three sets.
Irish overcome early setback, late pressure to best Santa Clara
Set three of the Notre Dame-Villanova game certainly presented a sign of close action to come for the Irish. Against a Santa Clara team with extra rest having defeated Villanova 3-1 on Friday, the Irish played tug of war in set one. Though the Broncos jumped out to a 12-6 edge, it quickly washed away in the face of a 9-1 Notre Dame. Nevertheless, Santa Clara rallied behind three service aces from Alyssa Eimer to claim the set at 25-22.
In a hole for the first time this season, Notre Dame showed textbook poise, bouncing back with a 25-21 win in set two. The set featured 14 different ties, ending on a 6-2 scoring run from the Irish. Palazzolo, Schrader and freshman outside hitter Morgan Gaerte combined for 12 kills, as the Irish compiled their best attacking set of the game (.355 hitting percentage).
Gaerte’s freshman contributions grew particularly relevant in the third set when Palazzolo’s play went south. The typically reliable outside hitter collected only one kill in 10 attacks with four errors, resulting in a hitting percentage of -.300. To pick up the slack, Gaerte delivered four kills, and fellow freshman middle blocker Anna Bjork backed her up with an efficient three. Ultimately, Notre Dame controlled the third set and swung into the game lead by claiming it at 25-19.
Santa Clara, however, refused to go down with a whimper on their home court. The Broncos made the clinching set tough on Notre Dame, knocking on the door of set five with a 23-18 lead. But graduate middle blocker Lauren Tarnoff, who posted three of her four weekend kills in the fourth Santa Clara set, turned momentum around with a timely kill. Moments later, the Irish moved into a 24-24 stalemate on two kills and an ace from Schrader. Though Santa Clara briefly retook the lead at 25-24, Notre Dame secured the final three points, closing out a 27-25 win on a Bjork kill.
At the weekend’s conclusion, three Irish players appeared on the Catholic Challenge All-Tournament Team. Graduate libero Hattie Monson, responsible for nine assists and 34 digs during the tournament, made the team. As did graduate setter and Saint Mary’s transfer Ella Sandt, who totaled 40 assists (including 28 against Santa Clara) and 16 digs. Finally, Bjork qualified with 14 kills on the day.
This weekend, the Irish will head south to battle Michigan (Saturday, 7 p.m.) and Mississippi State (Sunday, 2 p.m.) in Starkville, Mississippi.
