Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website

Nunge's Triple-Double Not Enough in 3-1 Loss at Louisville

Nov. 9, 2016

Final Stats

By Robby Hamman

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Irish (19-8, 10-5 ACC) got a monster performance from sophomore Rebecca Nunge but were unable to leave Louisville (9-16, 4-11 ACC) with a win, as Notre Dame fell by a final match score of 3-1. Nunge finished with a triple-double, becoming the first Irish player to accomplish the feat since Maggie Brindock did so at Rutgers in 2012.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Irish have made a habit of getting out to an early lead in ACC play and the team continued the trend on Wednesday evening. Notre Dame built an early four-point advantage at 10-6. The Cardinals managed to fight back to within one at 18-17 but that was as close as the Irish would allow them to get, as the Irish won the set 25-22.

Louisville bounced back in the second set to level the match at 1-1. After being tied at 6-6 the Cardinals won 10 of the next 12 points to take control of the stanza at 16-8 and then went on to win by a final 25-21. The Cardinals continued their momentum into the third set, jumping out to an early 8-2 lead. The Irish rallied to tie the set at 16-16 but were unable to win the third, as Louisville took the frame 25-20.

For the third straight set the Cardinals held a sizeable lead, as the hosts led 17-10 midway through the fourth. The Irish tried to mount a comeback and force a fifth set, cutting the deficit to two points at 24-22. However, Louisville managed to win the next point to take the set 25-22 and match 3-1.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH

Nunge was involved in everything on Wednesday on her way to the first triple-double of her career. The Newburgh, Indiana native finished with 10 kills, 15 assists and 11 digs over the four sets. Nunge tied her career-high in digs with 11 and her 10 kills marked the seventh time she has finished in double figures this season. The sophomore also added two blocks to complete her impressive evening.

STAT OF THE MATCH

The Irish recorded 82 digs in the match, the second-highest mark of the season in a four-set match. Ryann DeJarld led the team with 24, while Sydney Kuhn (18), Natalie Johnson (15) and Nunge (11) each finished in double digits.

NOTABLES

  • The Irish are now 21-12 against Louisville in the all-time series.
  • Notre Dame is 11-3 when playing away from Purcell Pavilion this season.
  • The Irish won the first set for the 13th time in 15 ACC matches.
  • Jemma Yeadon recorded a team-high 12 kills, marking the 14th time this season she has finished with 10+ kills.
  • Taylor Zwickl matched her season high in assists with 21.

UP NEXT

Notre Dame returns home from its three-match road swing at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 13 to host Virginia. To purchase tickets visit UND.com/BuyTickets.

— 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.