Hurricanes Drop Heartbreaker to Notre Dame, 3-2
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami volleyball team dropped a hard-fought five-set thriller to Notre Dame Sunday.
The Hurricanes (12-4, 6-4 ACC) won the first two sets against the Fighting Irish, 25-23 and 25-19, respectively. But Notre Dame (16-5, 6-4 ACC) took the next three, 25-13, 25-21, and 15-13, to steal a win at the Knight Sports Complex. The loss snapped the Hurricanes’ three-match winning streak.
Miami sophomore Kolby Bird led the way offensively for the Hurricanes, as she posted a match and career-high 21 kills. Senior Olga Strantzali also turned in a strong offensive output for the Hurricanes, as she totaled 15 kills.
Fellow senior Sylvia Hernandez chipped in with a match-high 24 digs and was just three shy of her season best. Redshirt Haley Templeton also added 50 assists and junior Lucia Pampana totaled a season-best attack percentage of .429.
As a team, Miami was outhit by a 66-61 percent clip. Sunday afternoon’s contest also featured 13 ties and seven lead changes.
Notre Dame captured the first point of the opening set, but that was the only lead the Irish would hold during the first frame, as the Hurricanes reeled off four straight points to take a 4-1 lead. Miami led by as many as six points in the set (13-7), but Notre Dame would fight back to trim the Canes advantage to one at (15-14). The Hurricanes would go on to hold off the Irish down the stretch to claim a 25-23 victory. Miami posted an attack percentage of 70 percent and committed just three errors.
Miami continued its momentum into the second set, only this time; Miami never trailed and led by as many as six points. Notre Dame trimmed Miami’s advantage to two at 17-15, but the Hurricanes finished strong, as they captured eight of the final 12 points to collect a 25-19 win. Miami showcased pinpoint accuracy in the second set, as it posted an eye-popping attack percentage of 89 percent with zero errors.
Set three was not as kind to the Hurricanes as the previous two, as Miami was held to just 13 points in the frame. Miami hit just 43 percent and had eight errors in the set. Notre Dame would go on to even the match at two games apiece in the fourth frame with a 25-22 victory.
In the deciding frame, Miami jumped out to a 7-5 advantage thanks to sophomore Madison Dill’s second solo block of the match, which forced a Notre Dame timeout. Coming out of the timeout, Notre Dame reeled off five straight points to take a 10-7 advantage.
Miami refused to go quietly however, as it put together a run of its own, capturing five of the next six points to even the set at 11 apiece to force a Notre Dame timeout. The Fighting Irish would then go on to win four of the next six points to claim the set 15-13.
Miami is back on its home floor next weekend, as the Hurricanes will host NC State and North Carolina in a pair of ACC matches. The Canes will face the NC State Wolfpack at 7 p.m. on Friday, while the UNC Tar Heels will face Miami at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
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