SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Notre Dame fell in four sets (32-34, 25-23, 14-25, 21-25) to Cincinnati in its second match of the Shamrock Invitational on Saturday night inside Purcell Pavilion.
Charley Niego led the Irish with 14 kills while Aubrey Hamilton added 13 kills and Phyona Schrader collected 36 assists.
Defensively, Hattie Monson paced Notre Dame with 13 digs and Caroline Meuth added 12 digs. Lindsey Miller, who also added eight kills and hit .353, notched a team-high five blocks.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
Following four straight Bearcats points, the Irish rattled off a 5-1 run, including a block and kill by Niego, to take a 9-6 lead and force a Cincinnati timeout. The Bearcats answered with a 5-1 stretch of their own to even the set at 12-12. With the frame tied 18-18, the Irish earned five of the next six points to go up 24-19 before Cincinnati rattled off five consecutive points to once again tie things up at 24-all. The teams traded points all the way up to 32-32 before Cincinnati squeaked out a 34-32 triumph in set one.
Niego recorded eight kills in the first set as the Irish hit .400 as a team.
Second Set
A pair of kills by Lauren Wenzel sparked a 3-1 Irish spurt that put the hosts up 11-8 before the Bearcats worked to even the frame at 15-15. The Irish retook the lead with a 4-1 run that involved a pair of kills by Miller to go up 20-17. After three straight Cincinnati points, a kill by Niego sealed a 25-23 victory for the Irish in the second set to even the match.
Notre Dame continued to hit well with a .306 mark in the second frame and 13 total kills.
Third Set
The sides went back-and-forth to open the third stanza before an Irish 3-0 run, including back-to-back kills by Hamilton, put Notre Dame up 12-10 and forced a Bearcats timeout. The visitors answered by converting 15 of the next 17 points to take the set, 25-14.
Fourth Set
Notre Dame broke a 4-4 tie with a 7-2 stretch that included two kills and an ace by Niego to take an 11-6 lead. Cincinnati answered with the next six points to go up 12-11 before using a 5-0 run to eventually take a 21-17 advantage. The Bearcats held on to take the fourth set, 25-21, and the match.
UP NEXT
- The Irish close out the Shamrock Invitational against UW Milwaukee on Sunday (Sept. 5) at 2 p.m. ET.
- That contest will be streamed live via ACC Network Extra and admission for all Notre Dame volleyball home contests is free.
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