Another intriguing litmus test awaits Notre Dame volleyball this weekend at Purcell Pavilion. Last weekend, the Irish started ACC play in the lion’s den with No. 3 Stanford and responded quite well, claiming a set and holding their own in a 3-1 loss. Notre Dame then followed up by taking care of business in a 3-1 defeat of Cal.
This week, the first two games of October again pit Notre Dame against a top-tier ACC squad and a beatable opponent. No. 19 Georgia Tech, ranked inside the American Volleyball Coaches Association top 25 for the 76th consecutive week, visits South Bend on Friday. Clemson arrives on Sunday after slotting in as the 14th-best team in the ACC preseason coaches poll, one spot behind Notre Dame.
The Irish continue to follow the lead of senior setter Phyona Schrader, who resides in a tie with Coastal Carolina’s Jalun Stout for the most triple-doubles in America. Schrader manufactured her sixth in Sunday’s defeat of Cal. The former ACC Setter of the Week leads the Irish in kills (133) and service aces (17) alongside junior outside hitter Sydney Palazzolo while pacing the team outright in assists (203) in scoring (163 points).
Having faced a more difficult schedule, Georgia Tech is off to an 8-3 start after falling to Nebraska in last year’s NCAA Tournament second round. The Yellow Jackets bounced back from an early upset loss to UCLA by rattling off two top-15 wins in five days against BYU and Florida. Georgia Tech, however, looked completely overmatched by ranked opponents in last weekend’s introduction to ACC play, suffering sweep losses at home to SMU and Pittsburgh. Friday’s match arrives as a slight competitive break for the Yellow Jackets before they head to Louisville on Sunday, but the Irish would like to cause some trouble.
A trio of players leads Georgia Tech’s offense, which ranks 24th in the nation with a .274 hitting percentage, on a regular basis. Tamara Otene leads the team with 141 kills and 160 points. Fellow senior Bianca Bertolino follows her with 124 kills and an elite jump serve that positions her 10th in the country with 0.62 aces per set. Only a sophomore, Larissa Mendes has been the trio’s most efficient swinger with 107 kills at a .336 hitting percentage.
Rounding out the Georgia Tech starters, UT-Rio Grande Valley transfer Luanna Emiliano handles the setting. She broke just about every program record related to her position in Texas and has brought a reliable option to what was an unstable setter position for Georgia Tech last year. Liv Mogridge, who is back this year after missing significant time due to a knee injury in 2023, and DeAndra Pierce will contest Notre Dame at the net. The two have combined for 60 total blocks this season.
Clemson, meanwhile, carries an 8-5 overall record into October having also lost to Pitt and SMU in three sets each last weekend. The Tigers will face Notre Dame on Sunday after going into Louisville on Friday, so they will likely be even hungrier for their first ACC win upon arriving in South Bend. Last year, Clemson played in the NIVC Tournament, making its deepest postseason run since 2018 by reaching the Great Eight.
Aźyah Dailey entered the season as Clemson’s top returning offensive weapon. However, after leading the team with 248 kills last year, she has taken a slight step back this season, ranking third on the squad in that category. Junior Mia McGrath paces the Tigers with 140 kills and 3.04 kills per set, while Finnish freshman Neea-Maria Joki slots in right behind her with 131 kills and 2.73 per set. The two have also provided Clemson’s best service, combining for 34 aces through 13 games.
Joki has also factored into Clemson’s strong block, leading the team with 44 total rejections. Indigo Young, a graduate transfer from Charleston Southern, has 43 blocks to her name to go with 67 kills. Sophomore Texas Tech transfer Kate Hansen has contributed as well with 38 stops after leading all Power Five freshmen with 1.27 blocks per set in 2023. Clemson has split its setting duties between Audrey Armbruster and Katherine Sandt thus far.
Notre Dame will host Georgia Tech at 6:30 p.m. on Friday before contesting Clemson at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
