ATLANTA — Zoe Nunez crossed the 3,000-assist mark as #22 Notre Dame closed the regular season with a four-set triumph (22-25, 25-17, 25-17, 25-22) over Duke on Friday evening inside O’Keefe Gymnasium.
With the win, the Irish finish the regular season slate at 14-3 overall and finish second in the ACC with a 14-3 mark in conference play. Notre Dame, vying for its third NCAA Tournament berth in the past four seasons, awaits the NCAA Selection Show this Sunday, April 4 at 4 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
Nunez, who totaled 38 assists and 11 digs on Friday, is the eighth player in Irish history to hit the 3,000-assist mark.
Charley Niego paced the Irish with 15 kills and added 15 digs and three aces for her eighth double-double of the season. Aubrey Hamilton added 11 kills while Lindsey Miller notched nine kills and a game-best .600 hitting percentage.
Hattie Monson led Notre Dame with 16 digs and Hannah Thompson and Miller tied for a game-high six blocks. Caroline Meuth also added five blocks for the Irish, who totaled 12.5 team blocks in the four sets.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
The Irish earned a 9-5 lead to open play before Duke earned the next four points to make it 9-all. After the sides worked to a 13-13 tie, the Irish went on a 3-0 run to take a 16-13 lead.
The Blue Devils responded with a 5-1 stretch to go up 18-17 and force an Irish timeout. After the break, the Irish used a 4-1 run, including two kills by Meuth, to lead 21-19. However, Duke closed the frame on a 6-0 run to take the first set, 25-22.
Second Set
The Irish used a 6-1 run, which involved three kills by Niego and a pair of blocks by Thompson, to earn an 11-5 lead in set two. After Duke closed the gap to 13-10, Notre Dame earned five of the next seven points to restore a six-point lead at 18-12.
A kill by Nunez, followed by a block by Nunez and Miller, clinched a 25-17 set win for Notre Dame to even the match.
The Irish hit .394 in the stanza with 16 kills to go with five blocks.
Third Set
Notre Dame converted four straight points to go up 8-3 and force an early Duke timeout in the third stanza. Back-to-back kills by Niego and Thompson forced another Blue Devils timeout later in the set and pushed Notre Dame’s lead to 17-10.
The Irish stayed in front from there with a kill by Niego clinching another 25-17 triumph to give Notre Dame a 2-1 lead.
Fourth Set
Notre Dame earned a 6-1 lead before Duke battled back to go up 15-13 and force an Irish timeout.
Duke took a 20-17 lead, but the Irish answered with four straight points, including an ace by Niego and a kill by Hamilton, to retake the lead at 21-20.
The Irish maintained the lead from there and took the fourth set, 25-22, to clinch the four-set victory.
Up Next
- #22 Notre Dame finds out its NCAA Tournament fate this Sunday (April 4) with the NCAA Selection Show slated for 4 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
- The Irish are vying for their third NCAA Tournament berth in the last four seasons and 21st trip to the NCAA Tournament in program history.
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