ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The University of Notre Dame volleyball squad played its second top-20 ranked team in the Big Ten on Friday in No. 19 Michigan. The Irish (6-3) battled hard, possessing a lead as large as six in the first set, and staying tight in the second and third sets, but it was the Wolverines who emerged with the 3-0 sweep.
Charley Niego and Jemma Yeadon combined for 17 kills while Ryann Dejarld tallied 19 digs and Zoe Nunez tacked on 27 assists.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
Notre Dame started on fire, recording a 7-1 run to jump out to an 8-3 lead, that was eventually extended to a 10-4 advantage. Back-to-back kills by Charley Niego followed by kills from Zoe Nunez and Jemma Yeadon led to Michigan’s second timeout and a Notre Dame 17-11 lead.
Yet, that’s when Michigan turned the tide. The Wolverines rallied with a 14-5 run and claimed the first set, 25-22.
Charley Niego led the Irish attack in the first set with four kills, followed closely by Jemma Yeadon with three kills.
Second Set
The second set was the very definition of a heavyweight boxing match, trading blows all the way to 16-all. However, that’s when Michigan utilized another late run, this time 9-1, to take the second set 25-17.
Yeadon and Niego tacked on two more kills each in the set, along with two kills from Sydney Bent.
Third Set
Set three mirrored set No. 2 in the sense that both teams continued to trade blows in the early goings, finding themselves tied at 12-all. The Irish held close, down just 17-15, but Michigan then powered on to take it 25-18, thus earning the 3-0 sweep over Notre Dame, and remaining unblemished in set losses on the year.
Yeadon led the Notre Dame attack with three kills, followed by two kills each from Niego and Hannah Thompson.
UP NEXT
Notre Dame will have one more crack at No. 19 Michigan, earning an instant rematch on Sunday, Sept. 16, this time with the advantage of playing the match on their home court. First serve is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET and will air on ACC Network Extra.
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— ND —