NOTRE DAME, Ind. — Lauren Tarnoff racked up 10 blocks and the Irish limited Virginia to a hitting percentage of .030 as Notre Dame earned a straight-set victory over the Cavaliers (25-13, 25-13, 25-22) on Sunday afternoon inside Purcell Pavilion.
Tarnoff’s 10 blocks gave her a weekend total of 23 as the Irish totaled 12 in the match and a whopping 33 in their last two outings. Caroline Meuth added five blocks of her own while Zoe Nunez collected a match-high 12 digs.
Charley Niego led all players with 11 kills with Hamilton notching seven and Tarnoff adding six with a hitting percentage of .500. Nunez dished out 21 assists in the three sets.
As a team, the Irish hit .289 in the match while limiting the Cavaliers to a mark of .030.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
The Irish broke a 2-2 tie with a 7-0 run, including a trio of blocks by Tarnoff, to take a 9-2 lead in the opening set. A block, ace and kill from Meuth sparked a 6-1 run for Notre Dame that put the hosts ahead 16-6.
Two more blocks by Tarnoff helped the Irish rattle off four straight points to push their lead to 21-9 before a Virginia attack error clinched a 25-13 triumph for Notre Dame. The Irish hit .409 in the first set while notching six blocks and holding Virginia to a mark of -.028.
Second Set
Six Cavaliers’ attack errors buoyed an Irish 9-1 run that put Notre Dame up 12-5. The Cavaliers worked to get back within four at 14-10 before Notre Dame went on an 8-1 run that included three kills by Niego, to go up 22-11.
The Irish closed the frame with an ace by Niego and a kill by Hamilton to clinch another 25-13 victory and earn a 2-0 lead. The Notre Dame defense was just as stout in the second stanza, holding Virginia once again to negative figures at -.034.
Third Set
The third set featured 14 ties and eight lead changes as the teams traded points all the way to a 22-21 Virginia lead.
The Irish closed the match with a 4-0 run, including kills by Hamilton and Lindsey Miller, to clinch a 25-22 win and straight-set victory. Notre Dame added five more blocks in the third set, including four more by Tarnoff.
UP NEXT
- The Irish hit the road next weekend for a match at Duke on Friday (Oct. 29) at 5 p.m. ET in Durham, North Carolina.
- That match will be televised on ACC Network.
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