NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The Notre Dame volleyball team topped Boston College, 3-1, to win its third consecutive ACC match and improve to 14-8 overall and 8-4 in conference play. The Eagles took the opening set, 25-16, before the Irish took the next three sets by scores of 25-8, 25-18 and 25-20.
Freshman Sydney Bent led the Irish attack with 16 kills while classmate Charley Niego recorded 10 kills.
The Irish defense racked up 20.5 total team blocks on the afternoon while limiting the Eagles to a hitting percentage of just .033. Senior Meg Morningstar notched nine blocks of her own, while senior Rebecca Nunge and Bent each totaled eight blocks. Senior Ryann DeJarld led Notre Dame with 26 digs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
After opening the set with a 9-8 lead, Boston College used a 4-0 streak to earn a five-point advantage. The Eagles remained in control from there, ending the stanza on a three-point run to close off a 25-16 victory. Bent paced Notre Dame with four kills in the frame.
Second Set
The Irish bounced back with a 9-2 run to open the second set that featured a pair of kills by both Niego and Nunge. Boston College responded with a 6-3 spurt to cut the Irish lead to 12-8. Notre Dame answered back with 13 consecutive points for the 25-8 set win. The Irish defense was stellar during the scoring run, racking up seven team blocks and limiting the Eagles to a -.300 hitting percentage in the frame as a whole.
It marked the first time in 2018 that Notre Dame has held an opponent to single digits in a set. The 17-point win also matches the largest margin of victory in program history in the 25-point set era. The Irish had previously earned 25-8 set wins on three other occasions, including against Boston College on November 23, 2016.
Third Set
Notre Dame extended its point streak to 18 with a 5-0 run to open the third set. After the Eagles cut the Irish lead to 6-2, five consecutive points for the hosts put Notre Dame in control with a 12-2 advantage. That cushion was enough to propel the Irish to a 25-18 victory to take a 2-1 lead in the match. Nunge recorded five kills in the stanza to lead Notre Dame.
Fourth Set
Four kills by Bent helped the Irish earn an 11-6 lead over Boston College to start the fourth set. A 4-1 spurt by the Eagles eventually cut Notre Dame’s lead to 16-13, but the Irish answered once again with a 4-1 streak of their own to go up 20-14. Notre Dame rattled off three consecutive blocks to finish off the Eagles with a 25-20 win.
UP NEXT
The Irish continue their homestand next weekend for a pair of matches against ACC foes Florida State and Miami. Notre Dame takes on the Seminoles on Friday (Nov. 2) at 7 p.m. before meeting the Hurricanes on Sunday (Nov. 4) at noon. For tickets, click here.
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
For a behind the scenes look at the Notre Dame volleyball program follow the Irish on Twitter (@NDvolleyball), Instagram (@ndvball) and Facebook (/NDVolleyball).