Irish Earn 10th Sweep in Victory Over Syracuse

NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The Notre Dame volleyball team picked up a 3-0 victory over Syracuse to improve to 13-8 overall and 7-4 in ACC play. The Irish took the first set, 25-21, before earning 25-18 victories in sets two and three to clinch their 10th sweep of the 2018 season.

Freshman Charley Niego led the Irish attack with 15 kills while classmate Sydney Bent notched 13 kills and junior Jemma Yeadon added 11. Bent also racked up three service aces for Notre Dame.

The Irish defense limited the Orange to a hitting percentage of .150. Senior Ryann DeJarld paced the Irish with 15 digs and junior Madison Cruzado added 11 digs. Bent was also actively involved in the defensive effort for Notre Dame with 10 digs and five blocks of her own.

HOW IT HAPPENED

First Set
The Orange jumped out to a 9-4 lead to open the match and force an Irish timeout. After the stoppage, four kills by Bent and two by Yeadon propelled an 8-0 run that gave the Irish a 12-9 advantage. A kill by Yeadon increased the Notre Dame lead to 18-14 before the Orange earned five of the next seven points to make it a one-point game at 20-19. The Irish closed the set on a 5-2 streak to earn the 25-21 win. Bent finished the frame with seven kills while Yeadon notched six with a hitting percentage of .429.

Second Set
Notre Dame carried the momentum from its first-set win into a 9-4 start in the second stanza. A 5-2 spurt for the Orange eventually cut the Irish lead to 14-13 before a 5-0 run gave the hosts a six-point advantage. Notre Dame remained in control from there, earning a 25-18 win to take a 2-0 lead. The Irish defense was stellar in the second frame, limiting Syracuse to a hitting percentage of exactly .000.

Third Set
The third set began as a back-and-forth affair that saw the Orange grab a 10-8 lead. Three consecutive kills by Niego spearheaded a 6-0 run that put the Irish up 14-10. After the Orange clinched two straight points to cut Notre Dame’s lead to 20-16, the Irish closed the contest on a 5-2 run to take the third set, 25-18.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH
Bent was a two-way player for the Irish on Friday with 13 kills and 10 digs. It was her second double-double of her freshman season (13 kills, 12 digs vs. Michigan on Sept. 16). Bent has now earned 24 digs in the last two matches.

UP NEXT
The Irish host Boston College inside Purcell Pavilion on Sunday (Oct. 28). First serve is slated for 1 p.m. and the match will be streamed live on ACC Network Extra.

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