NOTRE DAME, Ind. — Notre Dame continues its 2020 fall schedule with a pair of home contests against Syracuse on Friday, October 2 and Saturday, October 3. First serve for Friday’s home opener is set for 7 p.m. ET inside Purcell Pavilion while Saturday’s match is slated for 6 p.m. ET. Both contests will be streamed live via ACC Network Extra.
NOTRE DAME vs. SYRACUSE
Location: Notre Dame, Ind.
How To Watch: Friday – ACC Network Extra // Saturday – ACC Network Extra
Live Stats: Friday // Saturday
Twitter Updates: @NDVolleyball
Game Notes: Syracuse
SWEEPING START
• The Irish opened their 2020 season last Friday (Sept. 25) with a road sweep over conference rival Louisville.
• Notre Dame rallied from a 24-21 deficit to take the first set, 27-25, before earning the next two frames by scores of 25-22 and 26-24.
• Charley Niego (11K) and Caroline Meuth (10K) led the Irish attack with a combined 21 kills while Aubrey Hamilton added eight kills and Lindsey Miller notched seven kills with a .385 hitting percentage in their Irish debuts. Zoe Nunez collected 32 assists to go with 10 digs.
• Freshman Hattie Monson led the Irish with 20 digs and three aces in her first collegiate contest en route to earning ACC Freshman of the Week accolades.
HISTORY VS. SYRACUSE
• The Irish and Orange will be meeting for the 35th and 36th times this weekend.
• Notre Dame holds a 25-9 advantage in the all-time series.
• The two sides split their pair of meetings a season ago, with each earning four-set victories on their home floors.
• Syracuse topped the Irish on November 1, 2019 before Notre Dame avenged that road loss with a four-set win inside Purcell on November 17, 2019.
• In that home victory over the Orange, Caroline Meuth tied for a game-high 21 kills while Charley Niego added 20 kills and Zoe Nunez notched 46 assists.
JUNIOR DUO EARNS PRESEASON ALL-ACC HONORS
• Junior outside hitter Charley Niego and junior setter Zoe Nunez were both named to the 2020 Preseason All-ACC Volleyball Team, the conference announced on September 9.
• Niego started all 29 matches and paced the Irish with a career-high 410 kills in 115 sets in 2019 while earning First Team All-ACC and AVCA All-East Coast Region honorable mention accolades. Niego also recorded career-highs with 326 digs, 53 total blocks and a team-best 33 service aces as a sophomore.
• Nunez earned First Team All-ACC accolades after racking up a career-high 1,219 assists in 115 sets for a mark of 10.60 assists per set a season ago. The Rockford, Illinois, native and 2019 AVCA All-East Coast Region honoree hit the 50-assist mark in eight matches in 2019, including a trio of 54-assist efforts against Louisville, Boston College and Miami.
FABULOUS FRESHMEN
• The Irish landed four recruits to compile their Class of 2024, which was ranked 10th nationally by PrepVolleyball.com.
• The class includes a trio of PrepVolleyball.com High School All-Americans in Aubrey Hamilton, Lindsey Miller & Hattie Monson along with 2019 Indiana All-State honoree Charity McDowell.
• The highly-touted freshman class made an immediate impact in Notre Dame’s season opening win over Louisville.
• Monson led the Irish with 20 digs and three aces en route to being named the ACC’s Freshman of the Week on September 29.
• Lindsey Miller hit a team-best.385 with seven kills in addition to earning a pair of blocks.
• Aubrey Hamilton added eight kills with two blocks.
• Monson was also tabbed a First Team All-American by VolleyballMag.com and Hamilton was named Wisconsin’s Gatorade Player of the Year while Miller was selected to compete in the 2019 Under Armour All-America Match.
—ND—