Oct. 24, 2014
BLACKSBURG, Va. – The University of Notre Dame volleyball team couldn’t maintain a big first-set lead over Virginia Tech and struggled in sets two and three, as the Hokies swept the Irish, 3-0 (27-25, 25-20, 25-16), at Cassell Coliseum Friday night.
Up 21-14 in the first set, the Irish appeared to be well on their way to a 1-0 lead. However, the Hokies went on a 13-4 run to end the frame, thus laying the foundation for convincing wins in sets two and three.
Notre Dame struggled in many aspects against the Hokies (9-12, 2-6 ACC), as it hit .070 (28K, 21E, 100TA) and totaled just 30 digs. The Irish recorded five service aces in their first 20 points, but had only one the remainder of the match while totaling 12 errors. Notre Dame didn’t hit above .095 in any set on the night.
A continued bright spot and a carryover from the Boston College match was the defensive play at the net, as the Irish recorded a match-high 11 blocks to help hold the Hokies to a .230 attack percentage. Sophomore Katie Higgins (5), junior Hanna Muzzonigro (4) and freshman Sam Fry (4) paced the Irish in blocks, while freshman Jo Kremer tied a season-high with two service aces.
Grad student Nicole Smith led the Irish with seven kills, while Higgins posted six.
For Virginia Tech, outside hitter Lindsey Owens totaled nine kills, seven digs and three blocks, while Amanda McKinzie had seven kills and eight digs. Libero Megan Beckwith produced a match-high 17 digs to go along with three assists and a service ace.
Notre Dame (5-15, 2-7 ACC) has a quick turnaround with a 7 p.m. Saturday match against Virginia on the docket. Fans can follow the contest through the live stats link on UND.com.
–Russell Dorn, Assistant Media Relations Director
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