Notre Dame volleyball dropped two matches this week against rival Michigan — one at home and one on the road. Despite the losses, the matches were very competitive statistically, giving the Irish areas to improve as they prepare to face Syracuse on Sept. 26 and Boston College on Sept. 28.
In their first match against the Wolverines, Michigan outscored Notre Dame 55-43. The Wolverines had a 43-33 advantage in kills, an 8-7 edge on blocks, a 41-33 lead in digs, and a 38-28 dominance in assists. Michigan out-served the Irish as well, leading 4-3 in aces.
In the second meeting, Michigan won 56-45. Once again, the Wolverines led in kills, blocks, digs and assists. The Irish got a ray of hope with strength on the service line, acing Michigan five times to the Wolverines' two.
The Irish statistical leaders remained the same, highlighting the consistency of many players. Sophomore outside hitter Morgan Gaerte continues to lead the team in kills, garnering 140 on the year, hitting a .260. Junior outside hitter Sydney Helmers has 53 kills and senior outside hitter Avery Ross boasts a .364 hitting percentage despite not playing in the Michigan games.
Both setters, freshman Maya Baker and senior Harmony Sample, continue to diversify their playmaking choices and set a variety of hitters, combining for 258 assists on the season. Defensively, the Irish continue to look strong with freshman libero Maya Evans posting 110 digs and sophomore middle hitter Anna Bjork averaging 1.19 blocks per set.
The Syracuse Orange have had a very successful season so far with an 8-2 record, their only losses coming against Colgate. Statistically, the Orange are very close to what the Irish are putting up. Senior outside hitter Gabriella McLaughlin has 145 kills and 160 points on the season and will be big competition for Gaerte, and redshirt sophomore outside hitter Skylar George has 95 kills and 112 points on the season and will be close competition for Helmers.
Syracuse also has a silent killer on their team in junior setter Veronica Sierzant. Although she only has 41 kills on the year, she has a .400 attack percentage and 66 assists, proving she can step into any role her team needs and play effectively. Aside from Sierzant, the Orange also have junior setter Tehya Maeva who has 334 assists on the year and is the mastermind behind Syracuse's brilliant offense.
Defensively, the Orange are led by junior libero Rana Yamada who has 132 digs on the year and junior middle hitter Zharia Harris-Waddy with 1.21 blocks per set, which creates a massive wall Notre Dame will have to attack over.
Boston College has compiled an almost-perfect season at 11-1, even beating a tough SEC team in Arkansas, with their only loss being to Bryant University in five sets. Similar to Syracuse, the Eagles have numbers that are close to those of Notre Dame’s, which will mean every point matters.
Boston College is led by junior outside hitter Audrey Ross who has 131 kills and is closely followed by senior middle hitter Anna Herrington with 92; however, sophomore opposite hitter Isabelle Poehlein, who has a .515 hitting percentage, making her one of the most efficient hitters across all three teams.
The offensive calls are made by both sophomore setters Lucy Mott and Aubrey Moore, totaling 337 assists, the most of the three teams. The defense is controlled by junior defensive specialist Brooklyn Yelland with 169 digs and senior middle hitter Grace Milliken who has 1.33 blocks per set, the most of the three teams.
Notre Dame and Syracuse play during Hispanic Heritage Night on Sept. 26 at 6:30 p.m. Notre Dame–Boston College is slated for Sept. 28 at 1 p.m., with a poster giveaway and autograph session.
