Sept. 8, 2017
By Robby Hamman
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Notre Dame volleyball program (6-1) lost its first match of the season on Friday evening, falling on the road to No. 24 Ohio State (5-2) by a final score of 3-0 (25-20, 25-21, 25-23). Notre Dame’s 6-0 start was the fourth best in program history.
The Irish and Buckeyes head back to Notre Dame on Sunday, Sept. 10 to face each other for the second time this weekend. The match is slated to start at 1 p.m. ET in Purcell Pavilion. Admission to the match is free.
Jemma Yeadon and Sydney Kuhn each finished in double figures in kills and digs, both posting double-doubles on the evening. Caroline Holt dished out 36 assists and registered nine digs to help the Irish attack.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Buckeyes claimed the opening set to jump out to an early 1-0 lead in the match. Notre Dame and Ohio State were deadlocked at 9-9 in the early stages but the hosts went on a 4-0 run to open up a 13-9 advantage, one they would not relinquish for the remainder of the first frame. The Buckeyes claimed the opening set 25-20.
The Irish got into an early 9-3 hole in the second stanza and were unable to fully recover. Notre Dame managed to cut the deficit to three points off an ace from Natalie Johnson to make the score 15-12. However, Ohio State pushed its lead back up to six at 20-14 and went on to take the set 25-21 to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
The third set was tight throughout, as neither side led by more than three points for the duration of the frame. Notre Dame built an early two-point advantage at 6-4 but midway through the set the Buckeyes held a 16-13 lead. The Irish refused to go quietly, battling back to tie the third frame up at 23-23. Unfortunately for Notre Dame, the hosts proved to be just too much on Friday, as the Buckeyes won the last two points to come away with the 25-23 third set victory and seal the match at 3-0.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH
Yeadon turned in her fifth double-double of the season with 13 kills and 10 digs to lead the Irish. The junior has finished with 10+ kills in all six matches she has played in this season. Yeadon also added an ace to round out her performance.
ND STAT OF THE MATCH
Holt racked up 36 assists on the evening, averaging 12 assists per set. Friday’s performance marks the second time this season the senior setter has averaged at least 12 assists per set, with the other occurrence coming in the season-opening win over Valparaiso. Holt also chipped in nine digs, a kill and a block.
NOTES OF THE MATCH
- Natalie Johnson has recorded at least one ace in all seven matches this season and has accrued a team-high 18 aces in 2017.
- Jemma Yeadon has recorded 10+ kills in all six matches she has played in this season.
- Meg Morningstar has recorded a hitting percentage of .500+ in each the last three matches. The middle blocker finished Friday with a line of 7-0-13 for a team-best percentage of .538.
- With 10 kills and 10 digs, Kuhn recorded her third double-double of 2017.
- Freshman Madison Cruzado made her Notre Dame debut on Friday evening.
UP NEXT
Notre Dame and Ohio State will play the second match of the weekend against each other on Sunday, September 10 at 1 p.m. ET inside Purcell Pavilion. Admission is free to all fans for Sunday’s match.
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— ND —
Robby Hamman joined Fighting Irish Media as athletics communications assistant director in September 2016, coordinating efforts for the volleyball and men’s lacrosse program. Hamman is a 2010 graduate of Bethel College, where he earned bachelor’s degrees in sport management and business administration, and earned his master’s degree in business administration from Defiance College in 2013.