Now 11-16 on the season and 4-14 in conference, the Notre Dame volleyball team took a win and a loss this past weekend. They defeated Virginia Tech in a five-setter but fell in a sweep to Virginia.
Virginia Tech
While Virginia Tech were able to manage to points on the board for themselves, the Irish were quick to take the lead in the first set. Senior outside hitter Sydney Palazzolo opened up with three kills and a combined block effort alongside freshman middle blocker Grace Langer. Kills from Langer, graduate student setter Ella Sandt, an attack error on Virginia Tech and two kills from junior outside hitter Avery Ross brought the score to 9-4.
After a 8-5 run from the Irish, the score became 17-9. The Hokies started to make a comeback with a 7-0 run bringing the score to 17-16, but the Irish stopped it after an error on Virginia Tech to make the score 18-16. As both teams continued to score, staying within a point of each other, a kill from senior setter Phyona Schrader, blocks from Langer and freshman middle blocker Anna Bjork and a forced error gave the Irish a 25-20 win in the first set.
Virginia Tech started off the second set strong as they put up the first two points. However, the Irish came back going on a 8-0 run. The Hokies responded with a 7-0 run of their own to bring the score back within one at 8-7, but Langer added a kill to start a 4-2 run for the Irish. The teams traded runs in an intense second set until back-to-back kills from Schrader helped the Irish take a 25-23 second set victory.
The third set was intense as both teams continued to go back and forth. The Irish and the Hokies stayed within one point of each other or were tied throughout the entire set in a heated battle for the lead. Halfway through the set, while Notre Dame was trailing 15-14, the Hokies went on a 7-4 run to make the score 22-18. While the Irish responded with their own 3-0 run to bring the score to 22-21, the Hokies forced pivotal Irish errors down the stretch to take the third set 25-21.
The fourth set was again back and forth between the two teams as they stayed within two points of each other for much of it. While trailing 12-10, the Irish managed a 6-1 run to regain the lead over the Hokies and make the score 16-13. The Hokies would respond with their own 7-2 stretch to regain the lead and make the score 20-18. With the Irish unable to respond, the Hokies made the final score of the fourth set 25-21 and tied the match at two a piece.
The Hokies started off the fifth and final set strong as they with a 6-4 start. But Notre Dame responded with a kill from Ross and three kills in a row from Schrader, contributing to a 7-0 run and 11-6 lead. While the Hokies attempted to make a comeback, Ross continued to shine as she added two more kills to bring the score to 13-7. While the Hokies fought to stay in the game, Notre Dame kept the ball rolling behind another kill from Ross before a kill and a block from Bjork and Langer helped the Irish take the final 15-9 win, making the final overall score 3-2.
Schrader led on the court for the Irish with 19 kills, 22 assists, 16 digs, two blocks and one service ace.
Virginia
Virginia took an early lead in the first set as with an 8-2 run, but the Irish responded with five of the next six to make the score 9-7. As the two teams continued to go back and forth, Bjork put up a block and kill to propel a 6-2 Irish run that tied the set at 14. A kill from Palazzolo and a service ace by Sandt helped the Irish gain the 16-15 lead, but the Cavaliers responded with a 5-0 run to regain the lead and make the score 20-16. Notre Dame responded with four in a row to tie up the score at 20, but Virginia used errors to their advantage to finish the set on a 5-1 run to and win 25-21.
The two teams battled back and forth starting the second set staying in between two points of each other the entire time. A service ace from junior defensive specialist Maisie Alexander helped the Irish tie up the score at nine. Virginia responded with a 6-3 run to bring the score to 15-12, but after a kill from Ross, the Irish took four of the next five to tie up the score at 16. As the two teams continued to go back and forth staying tied multiple times, Virginia managed to pull away at the end of the set to win 25-22.
The third and final set of the match was strong from both teams as they stayed within one point of each other in the early part. The Cavaliers then went on a 11-8 run to make the score 20-17, and as the two teams continued to fight for the lead, the Cavaliers took advantage of key errors in the final three points of the night to make the score 25-21 and take the final 3-0 win over the Irish.
Schrader continued to lead on the court for the Irish with 12 kills, 15 assists and 11 digs along with Palazzolo, who logged eight kills.
The Irish now prepare for a rematch with Virginia Tech back home on Nov. 27th starting at 2 p.m.
