VB Green Celebration

Irish Set To Host Wake Forest and Duke

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Notre Dame returns to Purcell Pavilion for a pair of matches after opening its ACC schedule with a trio of road contests. The Irish take on Wake Forest Friday at 7 p.m. ET before meeting Duke on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. Notre Dame enters the weekend slate with a 9-5 overall record and a 3-1 mark in conference play.

Both matches will be streamed on ACC Network Extra via the WatchESPN app.

NOTRE DAME VS. WAKE FOREST & DUKE
Location: Notre Dame, Ind. – Purcell Pavilion | Buy Tickets
How To Watch: ACC Network Extra (Friday) | ACC Network Extra (Sunday)
Live Stats: Click Here
Twitter Updates: @NDVolleyball
Game Notes: Wake Forest & Duke Notes

SERIES HISTORY VS. WAKE FOREST
Notre Dame and Wake Forest will meet for the eighth time ever on Friday, with the Irish holding a 4-3 lead in the all-time series. Notre Dame has won three consecutive contests against Wake Forest, including a 3-2 road victory in the last meeting between the two schools on November 5, 2017.

SERIES HISTORY VS. DUKE
The Irish and Blue Devils have split 14 all-time matches with seven victories apiece. Notre Dame fell to Duke, 3-1, in the last meeting between the teams at Cameron Indoor Stadium on November 3, 2017. The Irish upped Duke, 3-1, in the last home match versus the Blue Devils on September 30, 2016.

NIEGO SWEEPS ACC WEEKLY HONORS
Earlier this week, Charley Niego became the first player in the ACC since at least 2010 to earn both Player & Freshman of the Week honors. She earned the accolades after helping the Irish top both Clemson and Georgia Tech after accumulating 36 kills and a .307 hitting percentage in the two matches.

Niego is second on the team in kills with 141 and second in digs with 145.  She has now reached the double-digit kill mark in six matches this season, including four of the last five.

BLOCK PARTY
The Irish block has been impressive in 2018, as Notre Dame has outblocked the opposition 135.5 to 90. Senior Meg Morningstar has led the front line, posting a team-high 72 blocks for an average of 1.47 blocks per set, which ranks 15th nationally. The Irish rank second in the ACC and 15th nationally with an average of 2.77 blocks per set.

BREAK OUT THE BROOMS
Eight of Notre Dame’s nine wins have come in straight-set fashion during the 2018 season. The Irish have recorded sweeps over Weber State, Toledo, Northern Kentucky, Oakland, Miami (OH), Chattanooga, UNC and Clemson.

DOMINATING DEFENSE
The Irish have been great on defense this season, holding opponents to a hitting percentage of just .147, which tops the ACC and ranks ninth in the country. The Irish have held four opponents under .100 this season.

One of the main reasons the Irish defense is playing so well is the ability of the backline to generate big dig numbers. Notre Dame paces the ACC in digs per set with an average of 16.96. DeJarld leads the way for the Irish, averaging an ACC-best 5.39 digs per set.

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).