Another year, another fast start for Notre Dame volleyball. After marching out to an 8-2 record in 2023, the Irish are 6-1 and on a four-game win streak at September’s midway point in 2024. This past weekend, Notre Dame defeated Northwestern twice and Colorado State to go 3-0. During the stretch, senior Phyona Schrader continued her masterful start, notching two triple-doubles.
Irish finish road swing strong in Evanston
To start the three-game-in-three-day run, Notre Dame finishes its five-game, season-opening road swing. At Northwestern, the Irish scored a 3-1 victory on Thursday, finishing the night strong.
Set one followed a consistent pattern of Notre Dame going ahead by a few points, Northwestern tying the count and the Irish pulling right back into the lead. The Wildcats had the set tied as late as 22-22, only for Notre Dame to score the next three points — two of them coming on Schrader kills — and win. Schrader’s standout performance in set one featured seven kills and five assists. Northwestern would bounce back in a hurry, dominating the second set by a 25-14 score.
Impressively enough, Notre Dame never trailed in set three, building a large lead halfway through the set and upholding it. Senior outside hitter Sydney Palazzolo, who touched off a set-high six kills, finished the 25-17 Irish win with a big swing. As a team, the Irish outhit Northwestern by a .414 to .074 margin on set three. The decisive fourth set followed a similar path before ending at 25-18 on an ace by graduate setter Ella Sandt.
For the whole match, Schrader finished among Notre Dame’s top two contributors in kills (21), hitting percentage (.529), assists (19) and digs (13). Palazzolo (14 kills, 10 digs), graduate libero Hattie Monson (11 assists, 17 digs) and Sandt (19 assists, 11 digs) went for double-doubles. Freshman outside hitter Mia Radeff also pitched in with 10 kills.
Compton plays host to home-opener win
For the first time since 2017, Notre Dame volleyball played inside Compton Family Ice Arena, creating quite the Friday scene. The goal horn sounded with each set win while green-jacketed residents of Duncan Hall and members of the hockey team filled in the hockey benches, which remained in place along with the boards. The Irish have them plenty to cheer about, recording a second straight 3-1 victory over Colorado State.
Notre Dame, however, found itself in some peril early. The Irish dropped a competitive, offense-first set one by a 25-23 score despite leading 23-21. In set two, Notre Dame hit .400 or better for a second consecutive set, going on an 11-2 run to win 25-16. The positive Irish vibes continued into set three, which Notre Dame’s defense largely won at a 25-21 score. Set four saw the Irish offense return, hitting .400 again to close out the set and match at 25-15.
Moving from volleyball arenas to an ice rink certainly didn’t stop Phyona Schrader’s triple-double train. The senior picked up another one against Colorado State, recording 11 kills, 28 assists and 14 digs while leading the team with four service aces. Her offensive supporting cast largely consisted of Palazzolo and breakout freshman Morgan Gaerte, who each tallied 15 kills. Gaerte’s .500 hitting percentage made for an excellent night of attacking. Finally, Sandt pieced together another double-double, amassing 17 assists and 10 digs.
Irish pick up second sweep against Northwestern
Notre Dame finished its busy week with a flourish, downing Northwestern again by a 3-0 score on Saturday. Back inside Compton for a second consecutive night, the Irish looked right at home, getting better as the match moved along. Notre Dame did not trail at any point on Saturday. Northwestern couldn’t even snatch a 1-0 lead in either of the three sets.
To start, the Irish overcame Northwestern’s best offensive set with a crucial effort from Palazzolo. The second-year Irish hitter posted seven kills, helping Notre Dame to a .389 hitting percentage and 25-21 win. Set two went back and forth, although with Notre Dame in front the entire time. Both teams embarked on a 5-0 run coming out of timeouts, amounting to a 25-19 Irish victory. After hitting .333 in set one, Northwestern’s attack plummeted to a .162 mark in set two. In set three, that clip would fall further to .038 while the Irish moved only from .400 to .375. Palazzolo, who led all players with 13 kills, finished the game-clinching set at 25-16 with back-to-back swings.
In round two against Northwestern, Schrader barely missed out on another triple-double, delivering 12 kills, 16 assists and seven digs. Sandt led the Irish again with 18 assists, while Monson totaled 10 digs.
Up next, the Irish will make their return to Purcell Pavilion for another regional, home-and-home clash. Notre Dame will host Indiana at 6:30 p.m. on Friday before visiting the Hoosiers on Sunday afternoon.
